Timefall: Crossover BETA
by Elliot Bowers
Summary: A nightmare-twisted retake of previous themes. A cosmic accident happens, and Gally ends up in a troubled New Jersey town of the 21st century. You'd have to read it to understand.
1. Chapter 1

TIMEFALL (Crossover Beta) (story by Elliot Bowers)   
  
Original BATTLE ANGEL/GUNNM character "Gally" by Yukito Kishiro  
Original SMALL WONDER characters "Vicki" and "Vannessa" by   
Howard Leeds.  
  
_____Gally lived here in Scrap Iron City...for now. She   
was quite noticeable. She was a petite and pretty   
Asian-esque teen girl--in most ways. Straight dark hair   
cut to shoulder-length. A round pale face with high   
cheekbones, dollishly huge dark eyes, and a small poutish   
mouth, a pert nose to go with it. And her pretty face   
matched her lithe, athletic body--lean and feminine. Her   
hair worn as it was, she was somewhat just over four feet   
tall.   
_____The girl wore clothes that would have been considered   
daring in old days long dead. She wore a form-fitting black   
body suit that fit close to all of her, showing all of her   
slender body's lines and curves. Thick boots on her feet   
and legs, often a trenchcoat draping over her torso and hips.   
Well, the standards of dress were different in Gally's time;   
Gally was a different kind of person.  
_____As for being different... Times were certainly   
DIFFERENT, as shown by the landscape. This was a different   
land, a jumbled city-scape in which most all traces of   
nature were covered over by centuries-old pavement. Atop   
the pavement was what humanity built and made. Buildings.   
Buildings with smokestacks, buildings for manufacturing,  
buildings with pipes going into the ground, factories,   
and even more factories...   
_____With pollution fuming into the sky, concrete buildings   
and old pavement covering the land, and even machines miles   
beneath, this was not a natural place. Which was made worse   
by concentrated masses of junk in some regions, piling up   
and up. Mountains of metal junk in places--which actually   
poured from the sky from the floating City of Zalem.   
_____Indeed, humanity finally triumphed over nature! Machines,  
factories, pollution! An industrial triumph... A triumph   
marked with smoke, grit, and--of course--misery. People   
of Scrap Iron City--down here with the buildings and   
the machines and the hard concrete--managed to live. Poverty,  
drug abuse and misery were commonplace and normal for here.   
As common as the blue of the sky and the white of the   
clouds. But that was not the only commonplace thing among  
the people; the people of this city are DIFFERENT.   
_____The machines were all around, so it was likely   
inevitable that the machinery would become parts of people,   
too. Not just limbs of synthetics and metal, but even   
torsos of metal. Metal machinery and synthetics INSIDE  
people. This, because people's bodies BECAME machines.   
Metal machinery up to the neck and replacing the skull.   
Polymers and synthetics being used to make realistic faces  
and hair. People so mechanized that the only "real" thing   
left of most of them was the brain. Even that was replaceable...  
_____The city was ugly, but Gally--petite and lithe and   
big-eyed--was pretty. Little Gally, though, was just as   
mechanized as the city. Dark-haired Gally, beneath form-  
fitting clothes and a pale synthetic face, had a body of   
sleek metal. To survive and ply her trade as bounty   
hunter, she had to be metal to survive. Of course, that  
was not why she was originally mechanized... This was   
where Gally lived.  
  
_____With sunset sinking on the horizon of this defeated  
g-industrialized land, Gally was on her way to enjoying  
herself in the company of other bounty hunters. At least,   
she was going to drink something. She was going to a   
club for people of her dangerous--but profitable--profession:  
a bounty hunters' hangout.   
_____To get there, she walked. Walked alongside the many  
real-bodied and metal-bodied people who worked in manufacturing  
for dirt wages. The people walking around her, maybe some   
would become criminals, too. Maybe she would have to kill   
some of them some day soon for bounty money. Maybe kill   
that boy there. Maybe kill that man there. Maybe kill   
that boy's children.  
_____Walking several more blocks along the street, the light  
of day darkening into night, Gally looked left. An abandoned  
lot. In that open lot of dirt and crack pavement sat some of   
the people--a fire burning from three metal barrels.   
Tattered clothes over those people's bodies, most of them   
metal-bodied. They sat on chunks of concrete and battered   
metal furniture, sitting in the light and comfort of those  
three close-set metal barrels--the bonfire burning. There   
was talking.   
_____"Hey Gally!" shouted someone fat-looking, waving with  
a metal arm. It was a surprisingly cleanly dressed man.   
Gally didn't notice him before. And the voice was barely,   
vaguely familiar... "Goin' out for a hunt, huh?" he shouted.   
____Gally could go to a hunter's hangout some other time.  
For some reason, she wanted to talk to some people--who   
did not have to kill for money. She stepped off the   
sidewalk and over here--looking for a place to sit. There   
was a place for her, next to the chubby looking metal-armed   
man who had waved to her. He waved again.   
_____Gally approached. She sat on the bench-like piece   
of metal next to him, sat to his right. Some other people   
glanced at Gally from where they sat, then went back to   
talking amongst themselves. Just talking.   
_____The fat man asked, "How ya doin', kid? Yer fightin'   
skills still up? Thinkin' any about playin' Motorball? I   
hear it's still THE thing to do around here..." He glanced   
at the barrels of fire, then back at Gally here.  
_____Gally had to arch her neck a bit back to look into   
his eyes--both his realistic and red-glowing one. She   
still pushed her memory to recall his name. He was   
familiar. Somewhere else, she met this big, round man in   
athletic clothes--his left arm of gleaming metal and his   
left eye a glowing red. He was balding....   
_____"What'sa matter? Why the stare? Somethin' wrong   
with ya?" he asked.   
_____Gally slightly shook her head. "No, nothing is quite  
wrong. Yet..." A breeze blew across this scene. "I chose   
to originally pass some time at a club... However, something   
more than simply your waving goaded me into coming here   
to sit... A whim." She looked at the ground. "I give   
apology; I fail to recall your name." For some seconds,   
there was but the sound of idle chatter of others and the   
crackling of the three barrels of fire over there in the  
center of this lot.  
_____The man smiled. "That's okay, kiddo... I'm Coach,  
remember? I'm an advisor for sports of all kinds, in all  
sorts of places! Now I'm doin' motorball. We met only   
'bout once, when..." There was a strong blast of wind. He   
looked up, both his realistic and his glowing eye looking   
up. "Fer cryin' out loud! Will ya look at that, Gally!"   
_____Gally did, and saw a rarity. Looking up, she saw a   
bright object racing across the night sky above--a flying   
machine! It was hard to tell what it looked like, because   
it glowed. But something seemed to be wrong with it;   
flames were coming from its rear.   
_____It must have been blasted by weaponry from the ground:   
Flying machines are ILLEGAL, and even building one made a   
person a criminal--with a bounty set on his or her head.   
Because, flying machines could be used by the people to   
get to the floating City of Zalem above.   
_____But Gally never saw that kind of flying machine before...  
It glowed such pretty colors, a flying and gleaming jewel   
of machinery and energy. And, she soon felt she would   
never see that flying machine again. Either that city   
weaponry hit that flying machine again, or it had already  
been damaged enough; the pretty glowing flying machine   
exploded into several large pieces.   
_____"Even in its death, it was something of beauty..."   
whispered Gally. Indeed, there was a brief flareup of   
various colors when that flying machine exploded into  
several smaller broken machines which glowed brightly for  
a second--before darkening and seeming to become invisible  
against the dark sky.   
_____Coach looked at Gally. "Ya know, kid... I'm kinda   
wonderin' where the pieces of it will end up." Then, oddly   
enough, he winked his glowing eye at her. "I'd be kinda   
CURIOUS. Know what I mean?"  
_____Gally gave a shake of her head. "That is a sentiment  
approaching impracticality, Mr. Coach. Likely, the parts of   
that flying machine would be contraband--possession being   
on the way to being a criminal."  
_____Coach smiled, a big smile on his big round face--  
which flickered oddly in the firelight. "Oh yeah? Well,  
kid, guess you'd better run! 'Cause I think a big piece  
is headed this way! Something gonna happen!" He said   
that, and yet another strong breeze blew.   
_____Then, for a moment, things became...strange. First,   
everyone here wen silent. Everyone sitting around the   
three burning barrels looked at Gally. And the fire from   
the metal barrels wavered oddly.   
_____Gally heard a whistling from above--that sound that  
big falling objects made when RUSHING through the air as   
they fell. Then...WHOOMP!   
_____A very large chunk of that flying machine had SMASHED   
into the three burning barrels, making for a dark explosion   
of flames and smoke all around. It was already night, and   
the dark smoke made everything seem darker. Dark smoke   
covered everything and everyone.   
_____Gally felt herself weakening. Her face saddened as   
her body weakened so much that she could no longer sit up.  
She felt her solid knees touch pavement, then she fully   
fell to the hard ground. Everything... SEEMED TO GO FAR   
AWAY. EVERYTHING DARKENED. EVERYTHING WAS... She passed  
into unconsciousness, and the wind blew on.  
  
_____GALLY THEN...came to her senses, recovered her   
consciousness. Or, she thought she did. She sat up and  
found that she was seated at a circular formica table.   
A green formica table, in fact. Someone must have picked   
her up and brought her to here. Wherever HERE was. And  
her head felt vaguely dizzy.  
_____The only things visible were herself, the formica   
tabletop and the seat. Her clothes were gone... Now, her   
metal body was bare--an exposed statuesque body of gray   
metal. But that should not be a concern now.  
_____Shining from above was a soft white light. Otherwise,   
everything was in absolute darkness. Even with her   
cybernetically enhanced eyesight, she saw nothing but   
darkness all around.   
_____Best not leave the table until her situation was   
apparent. This COULD be a setup--a trap--for someone to   
snatch her semi-biological spine... She would be helpless   
then. Or, this could be a dream.  
_____There was a blast of air, much like that odd blast of  
air when that piece of the destroyed flying machine   
smashed into the ground. The wind pulled Gally's dark   
hair to the side. The wind, much like the light above,   
seemed to come from nowhere.  
_____Gally became frightened. This was LIKE a dream, but  
it seemed more REAL than a dream should be. She tapped  
her metal fingertips against the formica tabletop, even   
scraped her fingers along it. It felt odd. The ancient   
saying of pinching herself wouldn't work too well;  
the only pinchable part of herself was the synthetic flesh  
of her face, and she didn't want to damage herself...  
_____Then came a distant shouting sound that was coming   
closer--as if someone was falling! The shout stopped,   
right in front of her. And then someone walked out of the   
darkness and up to the table... A little man   
_____He was a dwarf--a sort of midget, just shorter than  
Gally. He wore a red suit and red pants, a black silk (?)   
shirt beneath the suit jacket. His hair seemed neatly   
brushed atop his round head, a prominent nose on his tanned   
face.   
_____Gally wanted to ask, Where is this place? But, she   
could not talk. As if in response to her thoughts, she   
saw that Little Man smile at her and nod his head. As if,   
he had a link to her thoughts. Again, this HAD TO BE A   
DREAM. At least...  
_____And then the Little Man spoke. Said, "This is not   
just a dream. This is ANOTHER PLACE. THE THIRD PLACE."   
He looked to his right, his eyes looking to that side of   
the formica table. Gally looked there, and she saw what   
he was seeing. There was a bowl there, full of gray mush...   
_____"OATMEAL..." said the Little Man. He chuckled, as if   
at a private joke he alone understood. "You should   
UNDERSTAND it if you want to succeed... Understand the   
OATMEAL."  
_____Understand the oatmeal? He speaks in puzzles, thought   
Gally. She looked at him. And he chuckled whenever she   
thought of him--meaning that he could have implanted a   
brainwave-reading device in her. That could explain why   
her clothes were removed--to better work on the machinery   
of her body.  
_____The Little Man shook his head. Instead, he looked to   
the right again--pointed to the oatmeal. "You MUST understand.  
The oatmeal will be the way to UNDERSTANDING."  
_____Gally shook her head. Thinking, Why does that odd   
little man speak in puzzles? And why the "oatmeal?" To   
further disorient her?  
_____Regarding Gally, the Little Man shook his head again.   
He said, "I speak in puzzles. I speak the TRUTH." He   
stood up from his place at the table. Then Gally fell   
down. She felt the smoothness of the marble floor against  
her face before her mind blanked out.  
  
_____The next moment, she felt a solid street surface   
against her face. "AI-I-I-GH!" she shouted in pain, jumping   
to her feet and holding her gray hands to her pale face.   
A headache! She had a cuttingly painful headache! She   
felt as if her brain were being squeezed and stabbed   
underneath her dark hair, in her own titanium skull.   
_____The pain... It hurt so much. She swayed on her   
feet. She was no longer dreaming; that much she knew now.   
The pain was real, and it was hurting her.  
_____Through pain-bleary eyes, she saw that she was on a  
night street somewhere. She looked to the left and saw  
a corrugated gray metal fence. Looking to the right, she saw  
greenery--or thought she did. Shrubs and grasses against   
the fence to the right. There were several spots of   
artificial lighting--street lights. In the distance, the  
street went on.   
_____But the lighting was very, very poor. If her   
headache were cleared, she could better concentrate--to   
let her eyesight adjust. She heard the sound of a vehicle   
passing behind her. And she heard sounds of some nearby,  
the sound of footsteps on gravel and dried ground plantlife.  
_____Despite the pain that SQUEEZED her suffering brain,   
she acted strategically. She would act as if she did not   
hear those who were trying to sneak up on her. That way,  
she could surprise them if they attacked.   
_____Gritting her teeth against the pain in her head, the   
petite cyborg stepped toward the left side of the road,   
pretending to take interest in a part of the metal fence--  
because there was a rectangular white sign there.   
_____She read the sign in the dim and indirect streetlighting.   
FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP MINI-DUMP. Below that: RE-OPENED   
JANUARY 2001. But the sign seemed so new.   
_____Franklin Township Mini-Dump? It was an odd name for a   
company. She never heard of it before. Or, maybe her   
addled brain was just suffering too much to let her recall?   
_____Or was Franklin Township a town? It could be that.   
Whoever or whatever took her away--took her away after the   
flying machine's destruction--could have taken her to here.   
Further, this could not be Scrap Iron City because the air   
was so much cleaner. Though night, she could see that   
there was much plantlife. Farm vegetation? She was not in   
Scrap Iron City anymore.   
_____But she had other things to think about--like those   
of this "township" who were trying to stealthily approach  
and overtake her. She calmly stepped back onto the   
street, where there was more street lighting. All around,   
the sounds of creeping and sneaking people increased.   
Some of them even giggled.   
_____And there were more somewhat stealthy footsteps. She   
was clearly aware of there being many of them. Giggling  
and creeping. Sneaking and approaching. Any moment now,  
and she would be able to see them. Any moment... Looking  
left and right, her head full of pain, she raised her   
fists--prepared to fight to the end.  
_____SNAP, SNAP, SNAP... Quickly, Gally looked down the   
night-dark street. A block away, she barely saw the   
Little Man. Snap... He snapped his fingers again.   
Snap, snap, snap... Wasn't he in a dream? Was it a dream,  
when she was in that place with the formica table?   
_____He was walking away. Gally began to walk over to there,   
very carefully. Her head feeling loose and sick, she   
followed the sound of the snapping fingers in the night   
air. The unseen people who were trying to sneak up on her   
seemed to be keeping their distance as she walked--as if   
they were afraid of the Little Man. Snap, snap, snap of   
his fingers... The Little Man from that other place--the   
Third Place--was here. She had to move close to him.   
_____Going closer, Gally saw that the Little Man was   
DANCING. The Little Man, the red-suited dwarf-midget,   
was dancing in the street. His polished brown shoes   
gleaming in the streetlights; his red suit neat and visible   
in the streetlight. He turned, then began walking away,   
still snapping his fingers.   
_____"I will follow..." she said aloud, glad to have her  
voice. Saying that aloud was tactical; saying that aloud  
would keep those people away. If they indeed were afraid of   
the Little Man...   
_____With a wriggle in his step and his fingers snapping  
to a beat only he seemed to hear, the Little Man in a   
little red suit walked on. Gally followed. Despite her   
painful headache, she forced herself to follow, walking.   
_____Then she forced herself to speed up, to walk closer.   
The closer she seemed to come to the Little Man, the   
lighter her headache seemed to be...less intense. The   
headache was still there, but she seemed to be feeling   
better.   
_____Gally heard a new sound... A large car. It sounded   
different from the few transportation vehicles of Scrap   
Iron City. She stopped walking, the Little Man walking   
on. Then the sound slowly passed behind, passing this  
street. Gally suspected the driver could be looking for  
someone who did not belong here... Likely her. It could  
be back; she last heard it pass quite slowly. Then the  
Little Man stopped walking.  
  
_____Actually, the vehicle that passed by in the night   
was probably the only vehicle on the roads of this town  
at night. And it was not just a car, but a modified military  
scout car. It looked like a very large foreign sports car,  
but it was outfitted with khaki-colored armor plating and   
rubberoid tires. Great for riding the night roads of   
Franklin Township at night, because any moving vehicle   
without armored plating was likely to be destroyed by the   
altered people that only came out at night.  
_____There were two people in the armored scout car; they   
were very aware of the dangers of the night. Because, it   
was their ultimate responsibility to be out here after the   
sun went down, while sensible humans stayed indoors. Those   
two in the armored car, though, were not. Not human. Both   
were female humanoid robots--gynoids.   
_____They LOOKED human; the two in the armored scout car   
looked like twin human females in their late teens or early   
twenties--cute, in ways. Both were just a bit over five   
feet in height, were as slim as gymnasts, and had pert   
faces topped with fluffy brown hair. One gynoid sat at the   
large steering wheel of this vehicle; the other sat on the   
forward passenger side--looking at the onboard radar   
readout. And the differences between the twins were not   
just in where they sat...  
_____The one on the left--the driver side--was dressed as   
primly as she usually did: blouse and jeans, dark shoes.  
Her hair was up in a ponytail. She was named Vicki.  
_____On the right sat her "sister." She wore jeans, too--  
but jeans that fit very tightly. Her tight tee-shirt was  
cut half-way--showing off her lean abdomen. The bare-midriff   
tee shirt had "Metallica" written on it in gray letters.   
This one was named Vannessa.  
_____"Vannessa, WHERE was that radar anomaly blip again?" asked   
primly dressed Vicki, still looking out the annealed   
glass front window as she drove this scout car. "If the   
procedure worked, then someone ought to be around here.   
Somewhere close by..."   
_____"What the Hell, Vicki! We don't even know if it even  
freakin' WORKED," commented Vannessa. "Well, trans-warp is   
just an experimental HUMAN idea anyway. And if it DID work,   
how do we know that they pulled back somebody useful? Heh,   
I hope the trans-warp got us a ROBOT from the future this   
time..."  
_____"PLEASE, Vannessa!" responded Vicki. "Keep your eyes  
on the radar. Anyway, the Army is pretty sure that they   
trans-warped another human being into this time period.   
At least, someone with human brain waves..."   
_____Her sister crossed her arms. "Hmph! And how do those  
nerds know that? Experimenting with time travel... Why are   
they only able to do it with human beings? Will they get   
it to work for people like us, too?"  
_____Vicki spoke more quietly. "I don't know, Vannessa.  
I don't know. Maybe, a few more years of experiments, and   
we'll see... At least, there are androids and gynoids in  
Dr. Briette's home-time. Two hundred years into the future...  
This is only the 21st century; she's from..."   
_____"Whoops! Turn us around, Vicki! Turn us BACK around!"   
said Vannessa. "That freaky radar anomaly is back THAT way.   
Damned anomaly, we've been looking for it all night. About  
time it stopped moving." Indeed, people pulled through time   
temporarily gave off odd signals when detected by radar.  
_____With strength twenty times human, Vicki easily turned the   
steering wheel to the left to drive the opposite way. If this   
were daylight, she would have followed the traffic rules. But   
this was night in Franklin Township--probably the only place   
in the United States where the laws, including traffic laws,   
were completely null.   
_____They drove back the way they came. Vicki drove   
slowly, listening to Vannessa. "Turn left at the next   
corner, sis," said Vannessa. Vicki did, easing this armored  
vehicle around the corner.   
_____They were on a poorly lit back road--by the junkyard.  
A quick flick of a switch, and extra-bright overhead lights  
on the car came on. "And by the way, sis," said Vannessa,   
"The radar's telling me we've got company! Night People,  
from the radar signature! Cool!"   
_____Night People, thought Vicki. Humans that were modified  
by what happened in the night. But she did not panic, though   
her simulated personality could have led her to do so. "We   
have to find the person before the Night People do..." she   
said aloud. "Hey, I see someone...! Turn on the overhead  
lights!"   
_____That "someone" had turned to face the scout car.   
Indeed, up ahead and in the glare of the scout car's lights   
was someone standing there: short, athletic and female.   
Clearly female: the person wore form-fitting gray armor   
from the neck down, fitting close to her body.   
_____Vicki's "sister" nodded. "Yeah, Vicki, that anomaly   
is right there. We got Night People all around, too...   
Let's go!" Vannessa then opened the door on her side,   
leapt out and closed the door behind her.   
_____"Vannessa! Wait a minute!" Vicki shook her head,   
then did the same--jumping out of this car and into the   
night. The door closed behind her. And it would come back  
when it detected her or Vannessa. IF they came back.  
_____Out of the car, out on the night dark road... Vicki   
and Vannessa ran at machine-speed. They were at the   
female's side in just over a second.   
_____And she seemed dazed, the petite girl in body armor.   
"Come on," said Vicki, grabbing the girl by the arm and   
feeling solid alloy, "We're getting you someplace safe..."   
_____The girl looked up at Vicki, who was a head's height   
taller. Big dark eyes met Vicki's human-sized brown eyes.   
Even in the indirect lighting, Vicki saw that the girl had  
big beautiful dark eyes that looked just slightly confused   
and slightly frightened.  
_____"Look at that, Vicki!" said Vannessa just then. "While you   
were talking all cutesy to the girl, some of the nice Night   
People decided to block us off from our ride! Damn, I'm   
gonna ask Dr. Briette to tweak your emotional sub-programming  
when we get back."   
_____Even as Vannessa said that, some more Night People   
came out from the darkened sides of the road by the junkyard--  
places at the roadsides where streetlights and the scout   
car's brighter lights did not illuminate. Night People, if   
seen in low lighting, generally looked like ordinary humans.  
But if one saw them in full light...   
_____The Night People were becoming bolder. Two of them   
approached, walking shoulder to shoulder. Odd laughs and   
oddly glinting eyes.  
_____"Franklin Township: Home of 21st Century mutants!"  
said Vannessa, giggling. "I feel like kicking some Night   
People ass right about now. You can snuggle the girl if   
you want while I get things done..." Vannessa began to  
approach the two Night People over there.  
_____"Stay close to me," said Vicki to the armored girl.   
"You'll be safe soon."   
_____Instead, the armored girl spoke. Saying, "If it comes  
to a fight, then I come to it!" Shaking her head to shake   
off some dazed pain, she then dashed ahead to be at Vannessa's   
side.  
_____Vanessa glanced right and down. "Hey, kiddo, you   
move pretty damned FAST for a human! Unless that sexy   
armor you're wearing has something to do with it. Think   
you can help me clean up some trash?"  
_____The armored girl blinked hard. Her head still hurt. "I   
will try and do so--come victory or failure."  
_____Vannessa shrugged. "Okay...! Here they come! Vicki,   
get your ass OVER HERE!" But as soon as she said that,   
Vicki was already here. Which was good, because the Night  
People were now moving to attack.  
  
_____The two Night People that blocked the way to the car   
were backlit by the glare of the powerful headlights. Vicki   
and Vannessa raised their fists and stood slightly sideways,  
general kickboxing stances. Gally took up an odd stance of  
her own, one fist up and the other clenched close to her   
metal-solid waist. The Night People snickered.   
_____The enemy on the left jumped forward to attack! That   
one raised a fist and swung. Vannessa raised her forearms   
and BLOCKED--just barely. But she was knocked off her feet   
despite her inhuman strength. After attacking, the Night  
Person leapt back again.   
_____"Damn it!" exclaimed Vannessa, getting back up on her   
feet as soon as her back hit the ground. "My mobility   
processors could've been whacked! Could've ruined my   
tee-shirt, too."  
_____Vicki rushed forward--over to where the two Night People  
stood. TH-THUMP! She punched and kicked once, then did two   
quick leaps backward to her original position. One of the   
Night People went to his knees. The other one snarled.   
_____The "armored girl" moved into action. In two   
acrobatic moves, she stood alone in front of the two   
enemies. She leapt up and spun in mid-air, right foot   
whipping out in an arc. That attack hit both the enemies.  
_____The one on his knees was beheaded. The other still   
standing lost the front half of his chest. Both dead   
bodies fell chest-first to the ground. Then the armored   
girl ran back to Vicki and Vannessa.   
_____"Holy SHIT!" shouted Vannessa. "How the HELL did you  
do that, little girl?"   
_____She looked up at Vannessa. "I did it, and that is what   
currently matters..." Her eyes closed, and she fainted   
backward--to be caught by Vicki.   
_____Night People all around began snarling. From the   
shadows, their eyes glinted. Vicki and Vannessa moved   
quickly. Vicki picked up the (surprisingly weighty) girl   
and carried her on a shoulder. For someone so small, her  
armor must be heavy! Vannessa moved to protect Vicki's   
back from any potential attacks. The three females ran   
over to the armored scout car's rear doorway and went   
in--slammed the door behind them.   
_____Outside, the Night People slapped and struck the   
scout car's armor--using their misshapen fists and strange  
heads. They bloodied their knuckles and heads. However,   
their blood was not red...  
  
_____In the back of this vehicle was a wide payload area,  
tracking equipment against the close walls and a sturdily  
carpeted floor. The overhead internal light came on as  
soon as they were had come in.   
_____"Vannessa, you drive!" said Vicki. "I'll take care  
of the girl..." Then Vicki stopped talking, stared at   
the armored girl. Girl? "Oh goodness..."   
_____Vicki saw that the petite girl's "armor" did not just   
go up to her neck, but actually WAS her neck. And the   
close-fitting armor had none of the easy hinges or seams   
needed to otherwise remove it. This girl's body was metal.   
_____By the internal lighting of this vehicle, Vannessa   
saw that, too. "Hey, I thought we got a HUMAN, sis!" she  
said. "This one's got a pretty cool-looking alloy body...   
Hey-y-y! Cool! Somebody just like us!"  
_____"Quit it!" said Vicki, kneeling closer and leaning to   
look into the metal-bodied girl's closed eyes. "She's   
still breathing... Or something. Just get to the driver's  
seat and drive us out of here!"   
_____Vannessa was up and over to the door that separated the  
driver section from the payload section of this vehicle.   
She put her hands to the wheel. "Okay, just quit bitching!"   
Her foot stomped on the accelerator, and the armored car   
lurched as it ZOOMED forward--small thumps audible as they   
ran over the corpses of the Night People they killed earlier.  
_____Vicki held the metal-bodied girl by the shoulders   
to keep her from being tossed by Vannessa's crazed driving.   
When they were on more open road, Vannessa's driving eased   
up. Vicki put her hand to the center of the girl's gray   
chest--feeling the slight rhythmic vibrations of what were   
likely artificial internal organs at work.   
_____Unconscious, but still "alive." The girl opened her   
eyes a bit. "I yet live..." she barely managed to say.  
"Then, my brain remains intact."  
_____"Your brain is ALIVE? Living?" asked Vicki. "What   
are you, human...? Or really a robot, like us?" And from   
there, Vicki had plenty other questions.   
_____Blinking harder, the girl struggled against a headache.   
"I am...Gally. That is who I am. That matters to me..."   
And she fell into unconsciousness again.   
_____Vicki was left confused. "Hey, sis!" shouted Vannessa   
from the driver section of this vehicle. "We're gonna be   
out all night! Sunrise is in half an hour... Dr. Briette's  
gonna be SO-O-O MAD at us!"   
_____Vicki shook her head... When the sun came up, sunlight   
coming to town, things would revert to normal. The humans   
would leave their houses to go to work, go to school and   
just go about life as normal. Luckily, whatever happened   
to this town only affected things at night. Then, they   
would be able to get this "Gally" over to the municipal   
complex and into the lab without trouble.  
  
_____Vannessa would drive them around this town for the thirty   
minutes before dawn. Doing this accomplished two things,   
really. One, it kept them a moving target, as so the   
Night People could not group up and sneak up on the scout  
car. And two, driving around kept Vannessa occupied.   
_____Minutes before dawn itself, Gally opened her eyes.  
Her headache was primarily gone. Looking up, she saw the   
brown-haired gynoid Vicki--who would be called a "replicate"   
in Gally's time.   
_____Gally sat up, gently combing some of her own dark hair   
back into place with metal fingers. Vicki backed away,   
kneeling by the surveillance equipment built into this   
vehicle's sides. She eyed the metal-bodied girl.  
_____Vicki tried a few words. "We found you last night.  
I heard you speak English when we fought some of...them.   
You have a slight Japanese accent, but you seem to understand..."  
_____Gally looked away, saying, "I do comprehend your   
language. But, I do not fully comprehend these circumstances.   
Who are the 'Night People?' Estranged mutants? Outcasts   
of this society?" Her large eyes narrowed. "This PAST   
society?"  
_____"Then you know you were pulled back in time..." said  
Vicki. "The Army's Science Corps--pretty secret--used an   
experimental device to pull you to this time period.   
Because we... It's complicated, I'm sorry. It's going to be   
a complicated story... About what happened to this town and   
why we need you." She gestured toward the front of this   
vehicle. "When the sun comes up, everything will be okay   
again. Then Vannessa will take us to the municipal complex,   
where Mr. Dark will explain things to you."  
_____Gally moved to a corner of the vehicle, then sat huddled  
in a corner--gray knees close to her chest. The vehicle hit a   
a bump in the road. "At the very least, explanation is owed."   
_____Vannessa shouted from the driver section. "Hey,   
Vicki! Sunrise is half a minute away. If metal girl's   
up to it, she ought to see what happens in the morning   
around here!"   
_____To keep her balance in this still moving vehicle,   
Vicki walked partially crouched over. She moved to the  
corner where Gally sat, held out her right hand. "Come on.   
I'll show you sunrise. This town isn't always dark and   
ruined, at least not during the daytime."  
_____Gally eyed Vicki, then clasped one of her own metal   
hand in Vicki's synthetic fleshed one. Vicki helped Gally   
through the metal door and to the vehicle's front.   
_____Vannessa at the wheel glanced over. "We're heading   
east, along Hamilton Street." Indeed, out the front   
windshield was a two-lane roadway that would be busy come   
full daytime.   
_____Vicki let Gally sit down on the passenger side. And   
then Gally what happened in Franklin Township at dawn--when  
the night was vanquished by sunlight. Sunlight lightened the   
tone of the eastern horizon. Then a vast wave of gray  
mist--or smoke, really--came up from that direction,   
covering up the view ahead! Gray smoke, thick enough to   
cloud the view ahead.   
_____Gally braced for any possible impact. "Relax, relax!"   
said Vannessa. "I can see in infrared when necessary...  
See RIGHT THROUGH this shit. Driving through this is not   
a problem. Happens every morning..." Then, the smoke   
dissipated...   
_____Faded and vanished, as if there were not any smoke at   
all. Gally saw clear road ahead. Vannessa continued driving   
this vehicle along this two-lane roadway, a pretty view.   
There were plenty of trees along the right side, with some   
houses and streets at that side. On the left were some   
buildings and small grassy fields. None of the previous   
night's darkness or misery seemed present.   
_____Vicki smiled. "And... This is the Franklin Township.  
Daytime, Gally. Pretty soon, the humans will be up and   
around, doing what they do when it's safe out. A nice   
town during the day, you'll see."   
_____Looking at the daylit road ahead, eyes partially   
closed to the bright sunrise, Gally looked on. "A better  
side to this place, at the very least."   
_____They drove on for several minutes more, approached  
an intersection with a small rural-style convenience and  
bicycle store at the right. Vannessa turned the wheel  
right, and drove slowly in that direction. And to the   
left, seen out the left-side window, was a group of gray   
and brown buildings with several divided parking lots at  
the center.   
  
_____And the drove into that area, a group of buildings there.  
A sign at the right of the entranceway had this written:   
Welcome to the FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP MUNICIPAL COMPLEX. Below   
that sign was a listing of the buildings here--including   
the court house, public library, and recreation building.  
_____"We usually park in the lot in front of the police   
station," said Vannessa. "Sometimes, we have to share   
this thing with the police... They use their own kind of   
key to get in. Glad I got a remote key implanted in my   
fingers..." That said, she parked the large vehicle in a   
specially extended space next to several normal-sized--  
smaller--cars. "We're here!" Then Vannessa hit a switch   
to turn off the vehicle, and she hopped out.   
_____"Police..." said Gally. She had been told about this   
time period. The police, she recalled, were publically   
paid professionals who maintained the law. Paid by government.  
Instead of there being a corporation ruling cities and   
countries, there was a separate institution for government.   
In Gally's own home-time, the government and corporations--  
collectively called The Factory--were one and the same.   
How odd...   
_____"Come on, Gally. Our bosses will want to see you.   
They stayed at the lab all night to see who we found," said  
Vicki. She then moved from between the two front seats   
and out the same way Vannessa left. Gally left through the   
other door--closed it behind her.  
_____Getting out, standing outside the vehicle, Gally   
looked around. Indeed, they were amidst a group of   
buildings set apart by several parking lots. There were   
trees beyond these buildings. Above was the sky of   
sunrise, becoming more blue with passing minutes. And she   
heard...birds singing. Is this what Zalem looked like?   
_____"Get your synthetic self over here, Vicki!" shouted   
Vannessa. She waved from over there at the stone-cut   
building to the right--one with a Greek stylized entranceway.  
She then went into the glass-and-steel double doors. Over  
the entrance was an arching sign: RECREATIONAL CENTER.   
Gally and Vicki went there, went in.  
  
_____Inside recreation building was a carpeted foyer, a   
reception window at the right. A middle-aged man was   
behind there. "Hi, Vicki," said the man. Then he looked   
at who Vicki was with. "Oh, was that girl out at night?   
I'm glad she's safe." He looked at the girl. "Nice   
costume."  
_____Gally put on a hint of a smile. Vicki shrugged, then   
gestured for Gally to follow. "Sure, Gus. She's wearing   
a costume. Come on, Gally. This way, to the right."  
_____Gally followed, her large dark eyes looking left and  
right of this carpeted hall. She followed Vicki to the   
right--into a shorter hall that led to a public lounge with  
couches and a small table in the middle. Next was a gray   
door at the end. Gally heard Vannessa talking to someone   
in the room beyond that door; Vicki was waiting at the  
door.  
_____With the door held open by Vicki, Gally went in.   
It was a very simple office here: white walls, a green   
polished floor, a filing cabinet in a corner. A desk   
set in the center of the room. Vannessa stood in front of   
the desk; behind the desk sat a big man. The way Vannessa   
was dressed--tight shirt and jeans--she could be seen as   
flirting with the man.  
_____The man must be Mr. Dark, one of Vicki and Vannessa's   
bosses. Gally looked at him. He was somewhat fat, but   
with strong-looking arms. He was dressed in white button  
shirt, tie and slacks. He had brown hair, blue eyes. Eyes  
and face reddened from having been up half the night in   
waiting for Vicki and Vannessa to return.   
_____And he seemed used to Vannessa's revealing "rocker"   
clothes, not at all staring at her breasts in thin shirt   
or how her flat youthful abdomen was left bare above hips   
in tight jeans. That, because he knew that--beneath Vannessa's   
realistic appearance--she was artificial muscle tissue,  
titanium bone, and computer circuitry.   
_____Vannessa gestured with a jerk of her right thumb. She   
said, "Mr. Dark, that's who we picked up last night.   
Gally, from the future...or something like that. Vicki   
was like...SO-O-O worried about her, but she's fine. She   
can FIGHT! Speaks normal English, too."   
_____Mr. Dark nodded, then made a brushing gesture at   
Vannessa. Vannessa moved out of Mr. Dark's way as so he  
could see Gally, but she walked with a sway to her hips.   
One of these days, she was sure she would get Mr. Dark to  
notice her. Vannessa liked playing with humans...   
_____"Hi, Gally...!" said the big wide man, smiling. He   
put his hands flat atop the desk. "Welcome to the early   
21st Century! Earth... I don't know if this time period's   
any better or worse than your own, but..."  
_____"It seems better, on the surface of things..."   
interrupted Gally. There was an edge to the way she spoke.   
"Please, do cut the preliminaries. Justify my abduction.   
It seems, you abducted me for...assistance?"  
_____Mr. Dark held up his hands. "I'll give you the short   
version before Vicki and Vannessa show you the cybernetics   
lab. Where to begin... Hmm...  
_____"Here goes, short version. Once upon a time, last   
year, this town was your average suburban New Jersey   
town. At least by the standards we have here. Little   
crime, decent schools, well-to-do working-class folks...   
A nice little town. All that was fine, until something   
started happening..."  
_____He lowered his voice slightly. "It all started   
happening at once, the dark weirdness. People started having   
weird nightmares and dreams. I mean, REALLY weird dreams. Dreams about   
having junk being stuck to their stomachs and about little  
dwarves in weird suits coming down from the night sky to   
talk. And people started talking about space aliens,   
flying saucers, ghosts, monsters... All sorts of things.   
_____"Crazy things? No... As the police found out, some   
of THAT stuff really started to happen in this town...at   
night. They had to handle call after call, TOO MANY CALLS,   
about citizens being attacked and disappearing after running   
into weird people in the night. Pretty soon, some officers   
were disappearing too... Though the troubles only seemed to   
happen at night, people were so worried that nobody went   
out-of-doors anymore. Something had to be done. The mayor   
and police made a few calls...   
_____"That's where WE came in. After the FBI checked out   
this town, they called me in. A clandestine, covert   
office was set up--disguised as an office of the Franklin  
Township Parks & Recreation. But actually, an office   
running under an attache of the U.S. Army National Guard.   
And that office was to be run by me--is run by me. It   
wasn't going to be a problem: I'm a retired non-commissioned   
Army officer, anyway. At least, officially retired...  
_____"After setting up this office, my superiors assigned   
two undercover agents to me: Vicki Lawson and Vannessa   
Lawson. And then my superiors assigned me a damned good   
cybernetics scientist: Dr. Trissa Briette. But those  
three weren't just 'people.'  
_____"As I found out, Vicki and Vannessa--hah, hah--aren't   
human. And then I found out that Dr. Briette wasn't--hah,   
hah--from this time period at all. Turns out she came   
here by accident--from a trans-warp experiment that took   
her two hundred years back in time. Furthermore, the   
things happening to this town weren't normal, either."   
_____After saying all that, Mr. Dark put out his hands.  
"So... Here I am, in an office disguised to be part of   
the Franklin Township Parks & Recreation Department, with  
two secretaries and a doctor. But the 'secretaries' are   
robot-girls and the 'doctor' is a scientist from two   
centuries into the future. Together, with funding from   
the Army National Guard, it's our job to patrol the night   
of Franklin Township and try to stop what's happened--  
before it spreads to other towns. Are you with us, Gally?"   
_____Gally took some steps closer. Coming very close to   
the desk, she asked, "What is there for prospects of a   
return to my own time period?"  
_____Mr. Dark shrugged. "Sorry. I can't tell you that yet.   
The thing is, my office didn't pull you into this time   
period; another office did. Help us out, and we'll see   
about getting you back. Anyway, you haven't seen our   
cybernetics lab yet!" He looked behind Gally, at Vicki   
and Vannessa. "Vicki, Vannessa, show her." He patted   
the underside of his desk an odd way, then a part of the   
wall behind him slid open--an elevator.  
_____Gally turned to Vicki and Vannessa--truly two contrasting  
twin females. Standing side by side, she better saw the  
contrast between the synthetic girls. One in tight and   
revealing clothes. The other dressed so primly. Vannessa   
stooped down and put an arm around Gally's metal shoulders.   
"Come on, cyborg-girl. We'll show ya the place." She then   
led Gally to the elevator--Vicki following behind. They   
all fit in the elevator.   
_____"Okay, Mr. Dark..." said Vicki, "we're ready to go down."   
She looked down at Gally. "Relax, you'll like it."  
_____Mr. Dark patted the underside of his desk. The elevator   
door closed, leaving her in here with the two synthetic   
girls.   
_____Gally felt this elevator going down. She looked up   
and left at Vannessa, then up and right at Vicki. And she  
wondered about this Dr. Briette and if she had technology  
enough. If Gally was to face danger in this time period,  
it would be good to know if the doctor had technology   
enough to help.   
  
  
She wondered about what technology would be available for her  
repairs and maintenance. 


	2. Chapter 2

Timefall: Chapter 2 (by Elliot Bowers)  
  
__NAO: 1. List to call Sgt. Fox early this Monday.  
2. Is MANIAC MANSION available online for the PC, and are there  
codes for OVERKILL?  
  
_____"Bottom floor, shoppers!" said Vannessa cheerfully  
when the elevator stopped at the basement level.   
"Cybernetics, red-haired female scientists, and groovy   
technology are available here." Vicki rolled her eyes in   
annoyance. Gally kept her eyes forward. The elevator   
doors opened.   
_____And Gally saw much. Much of interest. This was a   
mid-sized but decent-seeming cybernetics laboratory. It   
was of average height, floor to ceiling. This area was   
several times the size of Mr. Dark's office--for good   
reason. Along the side walls were tables equipped with   
computer workstations, plastic boxes, and other equipment.   
But in the middle of the room was something that resembled  
a boxed-in bed... Someone was here, typing at a computer.  
_____At one computer, typing, sat the red-haired female   
scientist mentioned by Vannessa, one in white lab coat.   
The scientist seemed to not notice the newcomers   
immediately. Or, what she was doing was so important that   
she did not quite care.  
_____Gally stepped out of the elevator, her large eyes   
looking for familiarity in this lab. The cybernetics   
equipment down here was generally familiar in design, but   
with some differences. Probably, because the equipment   
was made with technology available in this time period.  
_____Vannessa and Vicki both stepped out of the elevator.  
Just then, the red-haired female scientist stood up from   
her chair and turned. A somewhat young-looking woman,   
maybe in her mid-twenties. Dressed in sweater and   
slacks underneath her lab coat, she seemed to have the   
same slim gymnast's physique as Vicki and Vannessa--though   
the scientist was some inches taller than the twin gynoids.   
_____"Good, it's about time you returned!" she said, looking   
at Vicki and Vannessa. Looking down, she greeted Gally.   
"Hello, cyborg..." said the red-haired scientist. "In case   
the gynoids didn't tell you about me, I'm Trissa Briette,   
Ph.D." She made a sweeping gesture at the rest of this   
cybernetics lab. "I handle maintenance, repairs and   
all that for Vicki and Vannessa. And about maintenance..."   
With smooth grace, Dr. Briette knelt--to get a better view   
of Gally's metal neck and body. "I think I should have   
no real trouble handling your technological cybernetics   
needs..."   
_____Conscious of having her bare metal body so closely   
perused, Gally self-consciously folded her hands over her   
solid abdomen and looked at the floor. Sayng, "If one   
should be so obliging to a stranger as myself..."   
_____Dr. Briette stood up. "Well..." she began, then   
looked at Vicki and Vannessa. "Well, you two! I'm glad   
you found her--the latest trans-warp subject. But I   
was SO WORRIED! It took you all night to find her! You   
two could have been damaged by what's happening at night.   
So damaged that you couldn't return! Then what? You'd   
leave Mr. Dark and me worried forever."   
_____Vannessa smirked, then sauntered past Dr. Briette.  
Saying, "What's to worry about, Doc? We're just robots  
inside, regardless of how cute n' sexy we look--at least   
to human eyes." Everyone regarded Vannessa as she crossed   
the lab--going to a side-door.   
_____Over there at the right side of this lab was a door   
to a side room: a shower and clothing storage area for   
Vicki and Vannessa. Vannessa took off her tee shirt   
before even opening the door. "First dibs on the shower,   
Vicki!"  
_____Vannessa went in. And, indeed, there was the sound   
of a shower running in the next room. Gally looked on   
somewhat curiously: Why would robots need to shower? She   
said aloud, "Replicate skin skin does not sweat."  
_____"Replicate? Is that what you call a gynoid?" asked   
Dr. Briette. "In that case, let me explain. Sure, Vicki   
and Vannessa do have synthetic skin--doesn't sweat or shed  
like human skin. But dust and grit can build up--like dust  
on plastic appliance covers. So, a shower or a trip to the   
autodoc machine every other day or so prevents buildup.   
Certainly, much less hygene than needed for human bodies." She then turned   
and shouted to the gynoid in the other room, "And as soon as   
you get out, Vannessa, you're getting a diagnostics scan!"  
_____More quietly, Dr. Briette turned back to Gally. Said,   
"But YOU need a scan first, little one. I need to get   
a view of your body's configuration for future reference..."  
She then put her fingers to her chin, thoughtful. "I didn't   
even ask you your name, treating you like an object..."  
_____Vicki put her hands on Gally's shoulders. "Her name's   
Gally, Dr. Briette. And she's from the time period they   
said she would be from: a millennium into the future.  
_____"That goes for preliminary reference..." said Gally.   
She regarded the raised, bed-shaped machine in the middle   
of the room. "And is that device one for scanning?"  
_____Dr. Briette nodded and began walking over to the   
bed-shaped raised machine. "It certainly is. It's an   
autodoc. Configured for maintenance and repair of synthetic  
bodes of synth-flesh or metal type. Nanotechnology isn't   
available in this time period, but this automated repair   
and surgery machine can do a lot. Remember, there was...  
No, will be cyborg technology before nanotechnology." She   
gestured to it. "Vicki, help Gally in while I run the   
workstation." The scientist then went to the right--over   
to one of the computers at a side-table.   
_____Sitting down, she tapped a few keys on the keyboard.  
The bed-shaped machine made a whirring sound as half of   
its top slid back--revealing a place for someone to lie   
down inside.   
_____Not familiar with the machine's design, Gally allowed  
herself to be helped into it by Vicki. In the compartment   
of the bed-shaped machine, Gally was lying down on what felt   
like a futon surface--soft cushioning against her metal   
back.   
_____"Whaa-whaa-WHAA!" came the wailing from the side-room.   
Vannessa was "singing" in the shower. Either that synthetic  
girl was malfunctioning in the shower, or she could not sing.  
_____"Don't worry, Gally," said Vicki, seeing the look on  
Gally's face. "Vannessa LOVES to sing badly. We can both   
sing with perfect human pitch--given our voice synthesizers.   
But Vannessa just likes doing what she does."  
_____"Pay attention, Vicki..." chided Dr. Briette from the  
side of the room. "And Gally, just lie still and try not   
to breathe too much--if you have any control over your   
body's artificial respiratory sytem. I want an accurate   
scan, and movement makes the scan last longer."  
_____Gally closed her eyes. Her breathing slowed, and the  
upper part of the machine closed over her. More whirring  
sounds came from the bed-shaped machine.   
_____At that right side of the room, Dr. Brette regarded   
the extremely complex and color-coded 3-D wireframe   
diagram that slowly showed up on the left half of the   
computer screen--an x-ray view of Gally's petite metal   
body and head with colors showing the interlocking systems.   
On the right side scrolled a series of configuration   
readouts.   
_____Interesting... Some of the technology that went into  
Gally's body was simple, yet much of it seemed extremely  
innovative and customized. But generally, the technology   
of Gally's body was not too far beyond what Dr. Briette   
had seen in her own home-time period. As if, progress in  
cyborg technology had been halted. Dr. Briette wanted  
to ask if Gally really was from the 31st century, or if   
something was wrong with that time...   
_____"Whaa-WHAAA!" sang (or tried to sing) Vannessa once   
more from the side-room, the sound of the shower turning   
off. And she began to sing some more. The sound of a  
dryer running in there.  
_____Vicki then looked at her own outfit of blouse and pants.  
Hardly wrinkled, but she wanted to wash her skin. Vannessa  
should be done in there soon. And indeed, she was.   
_____Out walked Vannessa. Her change of clothes exactly   
matched her previous outfit: another tight, bare-midriff   
"Metallica" tee-shirt and another pair of tight jeans. Jeans   
so tight that they would cut off blood circulation in a   
human body. Her fluffy brown hair looked slightly damp.   
"What's happening? The metal bodied ninja doll-girl still   
in the autodoc?"   
_____Vicki nodded. "Dr. Briette, may I go shower now?   
Unlike my sister, I don't need a diagnostics scan right   
now. I wasn't even touched by Night People, so I'm fine."   
Vicki said that, and Vannessa stuck out her tongue.   
_____"Yes, you may..." said Dr. Briette from her seat over  
at the side of this lab. "But remember, you may feel fine,   
but your systems could have slight malfunctions that only  
scans could detect. So I may want to run a scan on you   
too. After Vannessa... Oh, Gally should be done."  
_____There was a final whirring sound, and the autodoc   
machine's top slid open. Gally was in there with her eyes   
still closed--her synthetic face calm. She opened them--  
awake.   
_____She spoke. "Vague sensations pervaded my being as I   
lie within here." Gally then moved her metal body to getting   
carefully out of this device. "Yet, lying within allowed   
me time to contemplate future considerations."   
_____Future considerations? Dr. Briette shrugged. This  
while Vicki had stepped into the side room. The shower   
began again. And Vicki began singing.   
_____Unlike the deliberate wailing of her sister, Vicki's   
singing was a pretty humming that resonated very well to   
even out here--machine perfect singing from a synthetic girl.   
_____Gally paused to listen for some seconds, then hopped   
down from the autodoc machine. As if something were on her   
human mind. With machine deftness and agility, Vannessa   
moved onto the autodoc and lied within--allowed the cover to  
come over her.   
_____From in there, she said in a muffled voice, "At least,   
in here, I can't hear Vicki's singing that sissy way. Can   
still hear her, though. DAMN my enhanced robotic hearing!"  
_____"Vannessa, don't talk while you're being scanned!"   
said Dr. Briette over at the side of the room. She tapped   
away at keys. "Do that, and you the scan will take more   
time. And did you know that your mobilility systems need  
to be zeroed again? You must have been knocked down last  
night. Probably from an encounter with the Night People."   
After Dr. Briette said that, the autodoc whirred.   
_____A minute later, and the autodoc opened. Vannessa   
sat up and got herself out of it. "Tick-tock, ready to   
rock, Doc!" she exclaimed. "Too bad night isn't until a   
lot later, though." She stood in front of Gally, looked  
down. "Hey, I just noticed again, you're really SHORT!   
Why're you so short, Gally? Better maneuverability? Cyborg  
growth stunting?"   
_____"Not that," said Gally. "Indeed, as one could find  
out, my stature can be advantageous in battle. As...one   
could TRULY find out--with authentic experience."   
_____Vannessa then saw an odd look in the cyborg-girl's   
big dark eyes. And there was something in the cyborg-girl's  
facial expression--something Vannessa saw. Vannessa's electronic   
mind then went to analyzing Gally's facial expression...   
Then came the analysis: Gally was planning something.   
_____She was going to ask what Gally was scheming iin that   
living brain of hers when Vicki stepped out of the side-room--  
hair dry, skin washed and in fresh clothing. Vicki's   
return from the side-room was probably going to be a   
discraction...  
_____Yup, it was. Gally's facial expression changed from   
that "scheming" look to a more neutral and calm appearance.   
No longer looking as if she were planning something Ah,   
fuck it, thought Vannessa. "Hey Doc? What's to do now?   
Extensive overhaul of Vicki's AI subroutines you say? She'll  
lose her recent memories? I'll be GLAD to help..."   
_____"No, that's not it," said Dr. Briette. She walked   
over to Vicki and Vannessa, patted them on the head. "Right   
now, we should go up to the office. Mr. Dark just e-mailed  
me. He wants to talk to us as a group. Then we can relax  
for today. Until tonight, of course."  
_____"YES!" cheered Vannessa. She lunged to the side, kissed  
her sister on the cheek. Vicki looked aghast, then began  
rubbing her left cheek where the kiss landed. Then   
Vannessa began to dance around and look silly. "Let's go  
to that O'CONNORS restaurant tonight, Vicki! Then we can   
laugh and trick humans into having drinking contests with  
us! You can come too, little cyborg-girl."   
_____"Amusement from the intoxication of others?" asked   
Gally. "That fails to match my intentions at this time."   
And she thought, I have different intention intentions   
altogether.  
_____Dr. Briette walked away from the three girls, toward the   
elevator. "Come along now. We can't keep Mr. Dark waiting   
all day."   
_____Vicki shrugged; Vannessa smirked. They went to the   
elevator of this lab, and Gally followed. Dr. Briette  
tapped the "up" button, and the elevator doors closed.   
Going up...   
  
_____In some seconds, the elevator doors opened. They   
were back up on the ground floor and in the white office--  
at the back of Mr. Dark's office desk. The big man was   
there, a desktop computer folded open. Dr. Briette and   
the three girls went around to stand in front of the desk.   
_____Mr. Dark stopped his work on the computer, looked at  
everyone. "Hello again, everyone. Gally, too. Now,   
Dr. Briette... How about Gally? Can you work with her?"  
_____Looking left and down at Gally, Dr. Briette nodded.   
"I can. The technology of her body is not too far beyond   
my own home-time's technology. But, if she needs replacement   
parts, I would have to use alloys using local technology. From  
time period. Inferior to future materials, but that would have   
to do..." She gave an uncomfortable smile before adding,  
"No offense."   
_____"None taken," he said, blue eyes twinkling and face  
smiling. "Before I get to other issues, still any luck on  
developing those ceramic handgun rounds? The police still   
want bullets that will work against Night People."  
_____Dr. Briette answered. "Well, making the right kind of   
ceramic rounds requires tensor field technology. I studied   
cybernetics and physiology... Sorry, but particle physics   
isn't my field."   
_____Mr. Dark looked at Gally. "No problem, doctor. I'll   
probably have to go over to the police station and tell them  
to be more patient. To get off our backs. Anyway, we   
have a new weapon against problems..."   
_____"Speaking on the subject of myself as a weapon, I   
have something to REQUEST," said Gally. Mr Dark nodded;   
he was listening. She continued, "I must insist on   
prospects of return to my own time period. My home-time."  
_____Mr. Dark frowned. "Please, Gally. Be reasonable.   
Now, I'm sorry if you miss your own home-time already. But   
we REALLY need your help in this time period. Help in   
stopping what's happened to this town, right now."   
_____Something was in Gally's tone of voice. Vannessa   
looked to her right--at her sister--and winked. Vicki   
glanced at Gally, then nodded. As Gally was looking   
forward at Mr. Dark, she did not see that exchange between  
the gynoids.   
_____Mr. Dark and Gally stared at each other--the man behind  
the desk and the small cyborg standing before it. Still   
matching Gally's stare, Mr. Dark smiled. "Well, Gally, we   
only have two...?" Midway through Mr. Dark's last sentence,  
Gally moved!  
_____She did a front somersault, moving as so she landed  
with her metal feet planted atop Mr. Dark's desk--metal feet  
inches from smashing Mr. Dark's desktop computer. And Gally   
landed as so her petite self--but dangerous metal-bodied self--  
was not too far from Mr. Dark.   
_____In a quarter second, Gally simultaneously heard the   
squeak of fast-moving sneakers and felt herself being   
SNATCHED backward. Vannessa had pulled her off of and   
away from the desk. That Vannessa moved so fast again   
reminded Gally that the "girl" was not human.   
_____Vannessa had held Gally's arms straight behind her   
back, was straining to do so. She lifted Gally off the   
floor, then SHRIEKED into that little cyborg's right ear.   
_____The gynoid's scream disoriented Gally. Her eyes and   
mind feeling out of focus, she struggled. Then stopped.  
_____Vannessa spoke quickly. "Vicki! I'll burn out if she   
tries to escape again. Quick, use that drug shit Dr.   
Briette gave us! If it works against Night People, it   
ought to work on Gally."   
_____Vicki understood; Night People had human brains. So   
the spray should work against Gally--also with a human   
brain. Moving as fast as her sister, the other gynoid   
snapped a small gray canister out of her left pocket. It   
looked much like a can of mace. She then moved to stand   
in front of Gally--still held by Vannessa. Then, she   
sprayed Gally in the nostrils with the small gray canister.   
_____Gally did not breathe in the substance, but she did  
not have to do so. It was a catalyst-based drug that   
seeped past the synthetics of Gally's nasal passages and  
into her brain. The metal-bodied girl felt her nose go   
numb, then felt her head become numb. She began to feel   
very tired...   
_____With her mind darkening and fading, Gally thought she   
heard Vicki say, "I'm sorry, Gally. I really am." But   
Vicki was just a gynoid--a machine shaped to look like a   
young woman. Could a synthetic girl give a real apology?   
_____But as all faded into darkness, Gally accepted the   
apology from the synthetic girl. Then Gally fell into the   
darkness of sleep--not knowing what those people were going   
to do to her...   
  
_____...THEN, Gally was in that dream-place again. She   
sat up and saw that she was at the formica table again.   
All around was that deep darkness, a light above the table.  
She did not dare to get up from her seat now.  
_____The Little Man appeared, dressed in his little red   
business suit and pants, black shirt. He appeared at the  
seat opposite Gally at this table. "You have come...again!"  
he said. "I speak the TRUTH."   
_____He then looked to a side of the table. Gally looked   
left. There was a bowl of gray oatmeal there--like the   
last time: oatmeal in a white ceramc bowl. The Little Man   
was going to pose more puzzles for Gally.   
_____And, indeed, the Little Man did. He pointed his stubby  
right hand at the left side of the table, pointed at the   
oatmeal. Gally knew that the oatmeal symbolized something   
in this dream-place. WHAT the oatmeal symbolized, she did   
not know. But it could have to do with what was happening   
to the town.  
_____"OATMEAL..." insisted the Little Man. He stopped pointing  
at the oatmeal. And then--from nowhere--a one-inch metal   
bolt appeared in the bowl of oatmeal. Somehow, it floated   
in the gray food-mush. It began to move, as if stirring   
the oatmeal under the guidance of someone hidden in the   
surrounding darkness.   
_____Gally thought that to be very dark and strange. That,   
too, had to symbolize something. What that symbolized, Gally  
wanted to know. She looked to the dwarf-midget who sat at   
the other side of this table. Puzzled.   
_____"Strange machines stir-r-r the oatmeal..." he said.   
"You must UNDERSTAND. The OATMEAL pervades all..."  
_____Gally did not understand. This dark lounge, a dream-  
place, operated on rules she did not comprehend. Oatmeal,   
stirring bolts, the formica tabletop, and the Little Man.   
What did it all mean?  
_____The Little Man bowed his head in sadness, his stumpy  
nose shadowing on the formica tabletop. "I speak the   
TRUTH..." he said once more. "The truth about the oatmeal.  
Strange machines...stir-r-r the OATMEAL!"  
_____Gally looked at the oatmeal as the bolt stirred it.  
If the oatmeal represented something and the bolt represented  
something else, at least she understood this: Something  
was causing a stir!   
_____Though Gally did not say that aloud, The Little Man   
began laughing. It was an odd laugh, as if he inhaled in  
laughing. Laughing backward. Aah, aah, aah... Ahh, aah,   
aah...  
_____Like before, Gally felt herself falling out of her  
chair. She fell away from the formica table, hearing her   
own metal body clattering against the hard floor when she  
fell. Before she blacked out completely, she heard the   
Little Man say that odd statement again. Strange machines  
stir the OATMEAL...  
  
_____Oatmeal? Gally woke up. Looking up. Her back to the   
floor. Her large dark eyes open, she saw the cieling of the   
cybernetics lab--which was a dark wood-tile sort of color   
for a cieling. She saw that there were tubes of florescent   
lights to provide illumination. A person could observe a   
lot if one had time. But...  
_____She remembered what happened. Shaking off her daze,   
Gally took in a breath and tried to get up--but could not  
move her arms or legs. At least, she still had her arms and   
legs; the people here did not damage her body. If her   
captors had mutilated her, she would have known. Being a   
cyborg with a dangerous life, she knew what it was like   
to occasionally lose body parts.  
_____Someone walked over to Gally: Vannessa. Gally's   
perspective was such that Vannessa seemed to tower above   
her--long legs, slim torso, arms with hands on hips, a   
face looking down. That gynoid then took out a cigarette,   
put it to her own lips. Then she took a Zippo lighter out  
of her left pocket--to light her cigarette.  
_____Vicki's voice echoed from somewhere else in this   
cybernetics lab. Saying, "Vannessa, would you PLEASE not   
smoke? It's bad enough that Gally's brain was just drugged.   
Nicotine could seep into her artificial lungs and damage  
her. And besides, Dr. Briette said that the stuff in the   
smoke could build up on the plastic lining of your throat.  
Do you want to have your throat removed to be scrubbed? I  
bet Doc would make you clean it yourself."  
_____Vannessa broke off her stare at Gally, looked up at   
the ceiling in annoyance. "Whatever, Vicki..." Vannessa  
then went away from Gally--out of sight--to put out the   
cigarette. "What's the matter, Vicki? Feeling GUILTY   
about drugging little Miss Gally here?" Vannessa walked   
back into sight again, back to where Gally was. "If it   
weren't for you, she wouldn't be bolted down to the floor.   
YOU drugged her, anyway."   
_____"Oh, just SHUT UP, VANNESSA!" shouted Vicki from   
somewhere, probably sitting on a chair. "It was for her   
own good. It's not like I smacked her on the head or   
anything. We're all okay now, right? Nobody's hurt."  
_____Vannessa smirked a human smirk, chuckled. "Heh, heh...  
Nobody's hurt. At least, not physically. Bet her pride's  
hurt, though."   
_____She knelt, then leaned forward as so her face was   
closer to Gally's. Her voice full of sarcasm, she said,   
"Hey there, dude-ette! I was, like, SO-O-O worried about   
you. And Vicki was, too. By the byway, hope you don't   
mind being held down by those bolted restraints. We had   
to keep you from hurting the humans."  
_____Gally answered, "Assault was not my intent. Rather,   
I intended to intimidate. Intimidation and assault do   
differ." Her small mouth slightly stretched--a very faint  
smile. "If assault were intended, this conversation could  
not be held--as you and your equally artificial sister   
would have been in pieces."   
_____Vannessa stood up. "Is that a THREAT! OOH! I'm   
SO-O-O scared! Big words from a little girl. So what,   
I'm just a robot inside. Destroy me, and a certain   
government-paid company in Southern California will just   
make another me and another Vicki. Then another... And   
another! An 'Army of Me,' like that Bjork song. You want   
that, kid? You want an Army of Vannessas and Vickis after  
you?"  
_____Vicki, still out of sight, spoke up. "Gally, please  
listen to my sister. I admit that you could destroy us and kill   
our human friends. But then what would you do? Our   
government's Army would probably just find ways to arrest   
and restrain you. The U.S. Constitution would guarantee   
that the Army wouldn't kill you without a jury trial.   
_____"But," continued Vicki, "there are a lot of   
corporations out there who would be very interested in   
finding you. Then having you. They would shoot gas   
grenades at you, knock you out, then take you apart to   
find out how you're made."  
_____Vannessa chimed in. "Yeah, Gally. They'd kill your   
brain! Then they'd take apart your cute metal body to   
find out all the future technology for making cyborgs.   
You could run and hide, but all those corporations out   
there would find you eventually."   
_____"And don't forget, we're the only ones who have the  
Army connections to get you back to your home-time," finished  
Vicki from over there. "So, will you work with us?"   
_____Gally regarded Vannessa, looking up at that gynoid in   
tight jeans and cut Metallica tee shirt. "I do agree,"   
said Gally. "Such stands as the only beneficial course of   
action."   
_____"Heh, heh, heh... Okey-dokey! No funny stuff, though!"   
Chuckling, Vannessa knelt again--this time to undo the   
titanium bolts on the alloy bonds that held Gally to the   
floor. First the bonds on Gally's metal ankles, then the   
ones on Gally's metal wrists. Using her artificial   
strength, Vannessa did not need any tools to undo the   
bolts...  
_____She then held out her right hand. "Going to lie   
there all day, kiddo? Can't be much fun since you can't see  
the sky from down here in the basement." Gally reached up,   
put her right hand in Vannessa's--accepting the slight   
assistance in standing.   
_____Again free, again standing, Gally stepped away from   
the set of bonds on the floor and looked around this   
cybernetics lab. As it turned out, Vicki was sitting at   
one of the side-tables. Some stacks of candy bars where   
she was seated. "Hi again... Sorry about that, Gally."   
Vicki picked up one of the candy bars. "Want some   
chocolate? Dr. Briette said that your body is configured   
to use real food. To feed your brain and all."  
_____"Heh, heh, and don't you worry, girlie!" said   
Vannessa, walking behind Gally--putting her left arm around   
the little cyborg's shoulders. "They candy is NOT drugged!   
Honest!"   
_____That statement was rewarded with a glare from Vicki.   
A glare that meant, Don't you start, Vannessa! Then there  
was the sound of the elevator coming down.  
_____The elevator door opened. It was Dr. Briette, clasping  
a clipboard in her left hand. Looking the full part of a  
professional female scientist, she strode in. "Well! I'm   
glad you're up. You must have agreed to helping us, then."   
_____Gally answered, "In truth, I was always in agreement.  
My previous action was one to emphasize my position--a   
statement by metaphor. And at this time, I am quite aware   
of my bargaining position." After saying that, Gally began   
unwrapping and eating the candy bar given to her.  
_____Dr. Briette looked at Vicki and Vannessa, both of them  
nodding. Vannessa said, "Sure, she's cool with us. Smart   
girl here; she knows what would happen if she didn't cooperate.  
We made her an offer she couldn't refuse."  
_____Annoyed, Vicki said, "Doctor, would you consider   
making some LITTLE changes to Vannessa's etiquette sub-  
programming? She's being a bit more rude than usual."  
_____Stepping back away from Gally, Vannessa acted aghast.   
She made an expression of mock surprise, slapping her right   
hand high on her chest--making her young (if artificial)   
breasts jiggle a bit. Vannessa skipped wearing a   
brassiere...again. "ME? Why do YOU think I'M being a   
baby bitch? Why do I need my programming tweaked? What   
gives?"   
_____"Do you girls BOTH want your thought processes   
re-installed? I could call Dr. Lawson RIGHT NOW, and he  
could send new copies of your simulated personalities by   
FTP."   
_____Nobody spoke. For seconds, there was but the sound   
of whirring cybernetics equipment and the slight munching   
of Gally eating her candy bar. Both Vicki and Vannessa   
shook their heads. No-o-o, they did not want that.   
"Good!" said Dr. Briette brightly. "Gally, you can eat   
all the candy bars you want for now--a preliminary reward   
for helping us. Later, perhaps we can get the right kinds   
of clothes to hide your metal body. But right now, we   
have some more diagnostics to do. Everybody."   
_____"Damn!" said Vannessa. "Okay, it's time for ANOTHER  
trip into the autodoc..."  
  
_____Mr. Dark was up on the ground-floor, in that white   
office. Seated at his desk with the desktop computer   
screen folded down. He was vaguely worried about Gally's   
condition. Gally had put up an act of insubordination at   
the start of her tasks under his command. Insubordination   
from the start. Maybe the trans-warp time travel process--  
as highly experimental as it was--had affected her brain?   
_____He ran his fingers over the wooden surface of his   
desk, feeling the indentions where Gally's metal feet had  
landed. Mr. Dark knew that the little cyborg from the   
far future could have killed him easily and quickly. But   
she hesitated--giving Vicki and Vanessa the split second   
needed to stop her. That hesitation meant something...  
_____The big man looked at the plain white walls and the   
door--the door leading to the rest of the recreation center.   
How ironic, this front office for a secret team of  
not-quite-human beings was hidden right here in a building   
designed to run the town's parks. The police station--  
next door in this municipal complex--would have been more   
appropriate.   
_____The telephone beeped. The thing almost never rang:   
Almost nobody in this town had its number. He picked up   
the handset.   
_____"Mr. Dark here..." he said, not saying anything else  
for introduction. If the caller had the number, he or she   
knew what this office was really for.   
_____He listened to the voice on the other end of the  
connection. It was the mayor calling--calling about the   
latest "subject." That is, he was calling about the   
latest person recruited to help Mr. Dark's operations. Of   
course, the mayor did not say "time travel" on the   
telephone; someone could be listening.  
_____"Well, sir, she put up just a LITTLE bit of trouble.  
She was a bit upset from being taken from...home," said  
Mr. Dark to the mayor. "As her home is so far away--if   
you know what I mean--she was concerned about being   
returned after we're done with her."  
_____As the mayor responded, Mr. Dark listened--ear on   
the telephone's speaker. The mayor commented on how he   
knew where the subject was from. What was her name?  
_____"Her name is Gally, sir," said Mr. Dark. "And the   
'girls' told me that she's quite capable. In fact, I've  
seen some of her speed for myself." The "girls" being the  
synthetic girls Vicki and Vannessa.  
_____The mayor laughed that laugh of his. More relaxed, he  
asked Mr. Dark if this "Gally" was angry at beining abducted.  
Angry enough to "kick his ass." In private conversations   
like this, politicians talked as much trash as everyone else.   
_____"Good guess, sir," said Mr. Dark to the mayor. "Though  
she did not quite say it that way. She talks odd, but   
I'm lucky she can speak English--with a slight Japanese   
accent, though. I suppose English will be a language   
still in use in America for some time."   
_____The mayor countered, suggesting that English likely   
won't be the main language still in use in America. Or,   
whatever form America takes in the future. As it was,   
Spanish was rapidly becoming an important language as so   
many immigrants from South America could not speak English.   
Those immigrants came from countries where public schooling   
was poor and almost ineffective for the impoverished masses;   
they did not have the advantage of learning multiple languages...   
_____Anyway, he was digressing. What about plans for   
tonight? Any use for the new girl?  
_____"Well, sir, tonight's going to be a whole new game,"  
said Mr. Dark. "This will be the first time Vicki and   
Vannessa are going out on night business with someone   
who has a brain." A human brain...  
_____The mayor asked if Mr. Dark saw Gally as being   
capable enough to deal with the Night People. Maybe he,   
the mayor, would have to meet Gally some time. During   
daytime, of course.   
_____Mr. Dark thought about that cyborg-girl in the   
basement cybernetics lab. Vicki and Vannessa could go out  
in public during the day because they could pass for being   
fully human. But Gally? Gally, he thought, was more human   
than Vicki or Vannessa as she at least had a real brain.  
But her body was metal.   
_____Noticing that Mr. Dark was unusually silent, the   
mayor asked if something was wrong. Was there? Was the   
doctor able to help it?  
_____"It's nothing major, sir," answered Mr. Dark into the  
telephone. "I could just ask Dr. Briette to find a way to   
disguise Gally. Some different clothes, and her...  
physical condition could be hidden. Put her in the right   
clothes, and she'll look like a normal, healthy teenage   
girl. A bit short, though."  
_____This made the mayor curious. How "short" was this  
Gally? And how useful could someone so short really be?   
_____"She's a bit over four feet in height," said Mr. Dark,   
"but you'd be surprised, sir. You'd be surprised. She   
looks capable. Capable enough to survive another night out.   
If she stops what's happening to this town, I think we   
could use her when things get back to normal."  
_____And the mayor chuckled again, his laugh sounding   
tinny on this telephone. Is that a criticism of the   
Franklin Township Police Department? After all, the  
police are only HUMAN.   
_____Just then, Mr. Dark heard the elevator come up. The  
hidden wall panel behind him opened. He swiveled around   
on his rotatable chair. Vicki was here, up from the   
basement lab. Definitely Vicki; Vannessa wouldn't dare   
wear a blouse or jeans that were not tight.  
_____"Oh, Vicki's here, sir," he said. "She just came up.   
She saw Gally in action. I'll let you talk to her." Mr. Dark   
held out the telephone handset--stretching it on its cord.  
"It's the mayor, Vicki. Tell him about the new girl."  
_____The synthetic girl accepted the telephone. She put it  
to her right ear. "Oh... Hello, Mr. Mayor. How are things?"   
_____The mayor seemed to speak with a smile from his end  
of the telephone connection, commenting that things were   
not bad--during the daytime. Then he asked what Vicki   
thought about that "Gally" person. Could Gally really   
help stop what was happening to the town?  
_____Vicki thought for a second. She then said, "Sure!   
But Gally scared us for a second not too long ago. Just   
scared us. But she's really a nice person...I think. And   
smart, too. Really smart." The mayor said something.   
Then Vicki finished, "I think she's smart enough to REALLY   
help us out. You know, smart enouogh to help us find   
clues about what's happening."  
_____Agreeing, the mayor said to Vicki that nobody has any   
really solid information on what's happening. The Army's   
scientists investigated, said something about "reality  
going wrong at night." What was happening in Franklin   
Township at night was almost uniquely bizarre. And further   
investigation was needed. Too bad scientists can't be made  
into cyborgs with today's technology...   
_____Vicki said, "I read that Army report, Mr. Mayor. My   
sister did too...while listening to that junk music she   
loves so much. Anyway, according to the report, we're   
just lucky that what's happening really only affects town   
at night."  
_____Mr. Dark, watching Vicki talk on the telephone. He   
crossed his strong arms and nodded. He agreed to what Vicki  
said.   
_____The mayor said something else to Vicki. She then handed   
the telephone back to Mr. Dark. "He wants to say some   
closing things to you," said Vicki.   
_____Accepting the telephone again and turning around, facing   
the desk, Mr. Dark spoke. "Hello again, sir," he said.   
"Then that will be all? Thank you... Have a good day, sir."   
He then carefully hung up.  
_____Vicki walked around to the front of the desk. She   
said, "The mayor doesn't call too often. I didn't know he  
was so curious about what we do."  
_____Shrugging once, Mr. Dark commented, "You're right   
about that. He almost never calls this office directly.   
The last time he called was when Dr. Briette was brought   
to this town from her own time-period. But you know what?  
Nobody really wants to hear about what happens at night.  
Nobody but us, really. Glad he called. It shows he cares.  
Don't you think?"   
_____"But it won't last forever," said Vicki. "The night   
problems can't last forever. I'm not from this town, but   
I know that things can change. Be made normal again."   
_____"Then everyone can go home again," added Mr. Dark.  
"Dr. Briette and Gally can go back to their home-times,   
I can go back to retirement in Washington, then you and   
your sister can be shipped back to California...or   
whatever."  
_____Whatever? Vicki wasn't really human; she didn't have  
the rights and priveledges of a human being. When this   
was over, when the night trouble of Franklin Township was   
resolved, what would be done to her and her sister? Would  
they be shut down and dismantled? Turned off and put in  
a box somewhere, like toys put away after play time was   
over? So long as Vicki and Vannessa had this mission,   
they were allowed to at least pretend to be real. 


	3. Chapter 3

Timefall: Chapter 3 (by Elliot Bowers)   
  
_____Gally felt tired, and Dr. Briette had said she should   
sleep in the autodoc. Since the device had a sort of   
cushion in it anyway, she would be comfortable. Her   
artificial digestive system full of glucose-rich candy   
bars, she had some difficulty relaxing. But she did   
relax... And was already asleep.   
_____That was why Gally was in the autodoc machine. With   
Gally sleeping inside the autodoc, Dr. Briette was able to   
monitor that little cyborg's systems from one of the remote   
computer workstations at a side-table.   
_____And since the "girls"--Vicki and Vannessa--were gone   
for the day--this lab was a lot more quiet and free of   
chatter. A space of relative quiet for Dr. Briette to   
think about the little metal-bodied girl in the autodoc--  
Gally. What kind of time period was she from?  
_____Dr. Briette could not ask Gally now. Maybe another   
time, or maybe when the problems of this time and place   
were solved. As for Dr. Briette, she was from the mid-2200s.   
That time period was a politically troubled time period,   
so troubled that governments of the world were generally  
ineffective. Corporations pretty much took over everything.   
_____With reduced government interference, cybernetics   
technologies were allowed to become more advanced--advanced   
enough in Dr. Briette's time period to lead to the   
development of cyborgs. In fact, Dr. Briette was from the   
second generation of cyborg technicians and scientists.   
She also knew how to work with androids and gynoids--to an   
extent: The same kind of cybernetics technology that made  
synthetic beings like Vicki and Vannessa was closely   
related to the making of most cyborgs.   
______And about synthetic beings, where were the girls?   
When would they return from the movies, or whatever?   
Hopefully, Vannessa wasn't trying to trick human beings   
into drinking contests, arm wrestling bets, or some other   
scam. Vicki and Vannessa, they were likely having fun...   
_____Dr. Briette, still seated at the computer workstation,   
looked at the small time readout at the lower-right side   
of the screen. Vicki and Vannessa were just out at the   
movies; they said they would be back. They would be back  
before nightfall; they always were.   
_____What about Dr. Briette--a human being? An adult,   
Dr. Briette had to make do with two daily meals, showering,   
and sleep at a local hotel--at night. That was her fun.  
_____Maybe, Gally could hang out with the girls after   
tonight's patrol... When they found the right outfit to   
hide Gally's body from the neck-down. Did Gally drink?  
_____But now, that red-haired female scientist had to   
monitor Gally's physical condition. The computer workstation   
at this side-table was able to monitor Gally's body.   
Dr. Briette was able to see most all of Gally's systems in  
diagram. However, the autodoc could not diagnose Gally's   
mind....  
  
_____Above Dr. Briette, on the ground floor above this   
basement cybernetics lab, Mr. Dark was also in a thinking  
mood. Why not, since thinking was the best and only way   
to figuring out future strategies in stopping what was   
happening to this little town. He had already analyzed  
most all of the nightly data transmitted from the armored  
scout car Vicki and Vannessa drove every night--data   
transmitted and saved to both his computer and the   
computers in the Franklin Township Police Department. Why  
not, since they occasionally used the armored scout car,  
too?  
_____Not that the Franklin Township Police Department knew   
much about the night troubles other than it caused people   
to disappear, that ordinary guns were useless against   
creatures like the Night People, and that they--the police--   
had to stop patrolling the streets come sunset. When it   
first started happening, too many police officers were   
killed or had disappeared at night.  
_____Damn, thought Mr. Dark. A year of investigation,   
he wasn't even close to figuring it out. Something happened   
to this town, and he didn't know WHAT.   
_____Something to be thankful for was how the weirdness only  
happened at night... Just at night. So far. That way,   
the town was lucky--damned lucky.   
_____What the Hell... He leaned back in his seat--looked   
at the wall opposite his desk. This was a very plain   
office, with just blank white walls and a standard office   
ceiling--with white florescent tube-lighting attached. The   
only furniture in here was the desk, his seat, and the gray   
metal filing cabinet--behind him and to the right.   
_____He was able to think with few distractions--no   
paintings, no posters, nothing on the walls. People who   
worked in other offices of this recreation center sometimes   
came in and just saw the plainness of it--not even suspecting  
its real purpose, or the real purpose of Mr. Dark.  
_____He glanced at his watch; it was only 3:56 p.m. This   
time of year, the sun would not go down for over an hour.   
Vicki and Vannessa would be back before sunset. Then he   
would go into the basement lab and tell Dr. Briette to   
wake up Gally, and everyone would sit around to plan.   
_____...And half an hour later, Mr. Dark was out of his   
office. He went to the public lounge area of this   
building. One wall had tall windows that looked outside--  
a view of the divided parking lots and the trees in the   
background. But the light of day was turning into the   
mellowing yellow-gold color of later afternoon. Then,   
nightfall would come, and NOBODY went outside...  
_____Where the HELL were Vicki and Vannessa? Then Mr. Dark   
heard them. They were chatting in the short hall connected   
to this lounge. They were here. Must have come by cab.   
_____They stepped in: Vicki in blouse and jeans; Vannessa   
in much tighter jeans and bare-midriff tee-shirt. Again  
there was that contrast of how extremely differently the  
twin gynoids dressed. But they could get along--generally   
Both were talking about the movie they went to see.   
_____"Good, you two are back," said Mr. Dark, sitting in   
one of the lounge's couches. "Vicki, go tell the building's   
receptionist to go home. Vannessa, go get Dr. Briette  
and Gally from the lab. We're going to talk about tonight."   
_____Vannessa smirked, clicked her sneaker's heels together,  
then snapped her right hand to her forehead in a mock military   
salute. "Yes, SIR! Heh, heh, heh..."   
_____A retired NCO from the Army, Mr. Dark returned the   
salute. Vannessa then jauntily jogged out of this lounge   
to head for Mr. Dark's office. To then go down in the   
elevator... Dr. Briette would be glad to see her.  
____With less fanfare, Vicki went to the reception office.   
She politely told the receptionist there that it was time   
for the building's personnel to go home. And they did.  
_____The office personnel of this building's daytime   
operations did what everyone else in Franklin Township did  
before nightfall. That is, they left work. Went to bus   
stops and parking lots to take busses and cars home. Soon,   
throughout this town, buildings and streets were clearing of  
humans and traffic. Time for the pre-sunset meeting...  
  
_____In this building, the meeting began. Business-dressed   
Mr. Dark sat with labcoat-wearing Dr. Briette on one couch. Vannessa,   
Vicki, and Gally--in that order--sat on the couch opposite.   
In the middle of the table was a notepad. Mr. Dark picked   
it up and readied a pen--signalling the start of the talk.   
_____"Well..." began Vicki--hands on her knees. "Last night   
went pretty easily. We found Gally, though the Night People   
gave us some trouble. So... What are we going to do tonight?"   
_____Vannessa answered, "The same thing we do every night,   
Vicki! Kick some ASS!" Vannessa saw that Gally smiled a   
bit broadly--fists clenching. A look on her face. "Ooh,   
Gally... I LOVE that smile! You like to kick ass, too?"  
_____Gally gave a start, remembering her surroundings. She   
eyed Dr. Briette and Mr. Dark on the couch opposite. "Combat   
certainly has no lack of appeal," she said. "The physical  
defeat of the enemy is a thrilling climax. And, the actual  
combat excites..."  
_____Mr. Dark wrote something down on the notepad he held.  
"Interesting... So Gally, you don't mind dangerous patrols?   
Patrol every night with Vicki and Vannessa? No need for   
weekend breaks? You actually like danger?"   
_____Gally grinned, showing perfect teeth. "I adore the   
encounters therein." Though a generally low-key person,   
the metal-bodied, dark-haired girl seemed quite   
enthusiastic in talking about fighting.  
_____Dr. Briette, though, was not as enthusiastic. Leaning   
forward on the couch, hands on her slacks-covered knees, she  
spoke with concern. "But Gally, remember that if you need  
radical repairs that even your body's autorepair systems   
can't perform, I would have to use local technology. Which  
could be troublesome." She looked left, at Mr. Dark. "I   
would suggest sending them to patrol a known area of   
importance. That way, if you're sending the girls into   
danger, they would be endangered for good reason."  
_____"Oh, what the Hell! We LOVE danger, right Gally?" exclaimed   
Vannessa. "See, Gally agrees. And she doesn't even care  
if the night people are freaks who may as well be zombies..."  
_____"Would you calm down a bit, Vannessa?" voiced Mr. Dark.  
"Now, we should choose a patrol area." He reached into   
his left pocket and took out a folding map of local Franklin   
Township--the streets represented by black and blue lines.   
Around the edges of the map, though, was a dark dotted   
outline: That represented the area affected by what was   
happening.   
_____He unfolded the map and put it on the lounge's low   
coffee table--between the couches and for everyone to see.   
Something sprinkled down from the ceiling--onto the map.   
Some thick flakes. "Now this is weird," said Mr. Dark,   
picking up a few of the flakes--oatmeal flakes. "This is   
dried oatmeal. It fell onto the map." He looked to the   
right, at Dr. Briette. "Think this means anything?"  
_____Dr. Briette shrugged. She said, "It's not too long   
before sunset. Occasionally, bits of odd phenomena do   
occur just before the night comes."  
_____Mr. Dark shrugged. Indeed, reality seemed to become  
odd with the loss of sunlight. "Okay, let's continue.   
Now... How about this? Vicki, Vannessa, according to the   
data, you two found more recent night activity around the   
mini-dump since last week." He said that and pointed to   
that part of the map.   
_____"And before, lots happened around this part of   
Hamilton Street--near Franklin High School," he continued,  
"which is just a few blocks from the mini-dump." He moved   
his finger to another part of the map--moving to the dark   
and slightly thick line representing Hamilton Street. Little   
intersecting lines represented side streets connected to Hamilton.   
"The Night People must have been gathering more to the northwest.   
Near the junkyard, the mini-dump."   
_____"The...mini-dump?" asked Gally. "Such was where I came   
in... Also, where I saw the Little Man."  
_____Mr. Dark looked from the map to the petite cyborg-girl  
on that couch. "Did I hear you right, Gally? You said,   
'Little Man.' Near the mini-dump?"  
_____"Hah, Little Man?" said Vannessa. "Vicki and I didn't   
see SHIT when we went to pick up Gally! All we saw last   
night were some more of those God-damned Night People.   
That was it for the weirdness. No weird lights in the sky,  
like last Tuesday. No floating balls of fire, like last  
Friday. No hairy ape-men walking the woods, like last   
month... Just Night People. Gally, were you hallucinating?"   
_____Annoyed at the synthetic girl's chatter, Mr. Dark   
chopped the air once with his left hand--a gesture meaning,   
Shut up, Vannessa. "Gally, you can confirm the existence   
of the Little Man? Vicki and Vannessa, oddly enough,   
never could. They've got photographs of other phenomena--  
like lights in the sky and the occasional groups of ape-men.   
Maybe you'll run into them some other night. But Vicki and  
Vannessa, they never photographed of the Little Man--  
reportedly seen by people stranded outside at night..." He   
gave another shrug. "Anyway, if you saw the Litte Man   
entity in the mini-dump area, then something must be   
happening there."  
_____Gally's large dark eyes, set in her pert synth-flesh   
face, regarded Mr. Dark. "The phenomena you stated   
invokes curiosity. So very odd..." she said. "Lights in   
the sky? Misshapen human beings--mutations--are common in   
my time period due to the excess toxic pollutants. But what,   
indeed, occurs in this town? What happened to make such   
oddities of altered reality come to pass?"  
_____Vannessa stood up, then flopped back onto the couch--  
back at her end. "FOR PETE'S SAKE! Don't you get it,  
Gally? Something wrong with your allegedly human brain   
that makes you not understand what's wrong with this town?  
THIS WHOLE DAMN TOWN IS HAUNTED! SPOOKED!"  
_____Vicki spoke up. "My sister is exaggerating, Gally.   
This town is not 'haunted.' Lots of things happen at night,   
stuff we can't explain. But we can't say things like   
'haunted.'"  
_____"Hmmph... I still say the whole town's haunted,"   
muttered Vannessa, crossing her pale arms over her abdomen.   
"Like that show TWIN PEAKS, scarier than X-FILES. You'll   
see, Gally. Hang out with us a few more nights..."   
_____"Vannessa! Please..." pleaded Dr. Briette. "We're   
trying to stay on topic, and you're not cooperating. Do   
you want your personality emulation programming tweaked?"   
_____Vannessa clamped her hands to her own mouth. She then  
shook her head. No thank you, she didn't want her electronic   
mind tweaked.  
_____Gally looked to the right, at the huge window that  
looked outside. "I did not realize the extent of the   
oddities..." she said, looking outside at the divided   
parking lots and background of trees out there. "But, now,   
I can begin to understand.... Something is not quite right."  
_____Vicki moved closer to Gally on this couch. She then   
put a hand on Gally's right shoulder--a comforting hand.   
Vicki then said to that petite metal-bodied girl, "It's okay,   
Gally. We know there's an explanation for what's happening   
to this town. When we do find the explanation, we'll stop   
it. Then everything will be normal again."  
_____Gally's pretty synthetic face then showed a real smile.  
She looked at Vicki. Said, "Thank you... At times, an   
ally's comfort is needed refreshment."  
_____Vannessa opened her mouth, then pointed to it. A   
mock-gesture of vomiting. "Please!" she said. "This is   
so damned mushy! If I were human, God forbid, I'd barf!   
Mr. Dark, I agreed to help you out so I could kick ass,   
not play huggy-feely with little cute-faced cyborg girls."   
_____Dr. Briette and Mr. Dark glared at Vannessa at the  
same time. And, speaking together, they shouted...   
"VANNESSA!"  
_____Vannessa crossed her arms. Maybe, she annoyed those   
two humans enough for today. It wasn't her fault, really:  
Her simulated personality was a composite of multiple   
human youths--and just as sassy.   
  
_____Then all was decided, really. Tonight's patrol route   
would include the mini-dump and surrounding area. Under an   
hour before nightfall, Mr. Dark and Dr. Briette left this   
area by car: Mr. Dark drove home to his house; Dr. Briette   
took a cab back to the hotel where she was staying. The   
two would be back in the morning--as usual.   
_____Vicki and Vannessa went over to the parking lot area  
where the armored scout car was. The sunset was coming   
on, and they would be in the car when night coated over  
the land. Then, when the changes happened, they would   
start up this armored scout car and move.  
  
_____And the three were in the front of the large four-wheel  
drive vehicle when night did close over: Gally knelt in  
the space between the cockpit seats, Vicki in the driver's  
seat, Vannessa in the passenger side seat. Looking out   
the front windshield, they saw what happened when night  
closed over Franklin Township.  
_____Their view was that of the municipal complex--  
a group buildings with parking lots in front, trees and  
forest in the background. The golden glow of sunset   
darkened over, as if a massive cloud of darkness covered  
over the sky. All seemed absolutely dark out there. Then  
the parking lot's lights and lights on the nearby buildings  
flickered on. Spaces of light in the otherwise totally   
dark night. No stars above, though: The sky was plain   
black.  
_____Gally was slightly shaken by the surprisingly rapid   
changover to night. "The night closed over, as if the   
light of day was consumed by metaphysical vacuum," she  
said in awe.  
_____There was some thoughtful silence. Then Vannessa   
spoke. "Vicki, let's roll. Don't want to stay in this   
cozy and safe municipal complex forever..."  
_____Vicki nodded. She then activated the vehicle's engines.   
"We're off to the mini-dump again. Maybe we'll get lucky   
and get some good clues tonight." The vehicle started,   
she drove it out of this municipal complex area and to  
nearby DeMott Lane. A left turn, and they were on   
Hamilton Street--streetlights and the vehicle's headlights  
the ONLY lights out here. No traffic, of course.   
  
_____Driving along this two-lane street would take them  
close to the mini-dump in minutes. Dark minutes. Gally   
was able to ride between the seats by kneeling and putting   
her metal hands on the reinforced dashboard.  
_____Looking out the small left and right windows of this   
vehicle, Gally saw some of the houses they passed--lit  
from within and with light shining from curtained windows.   
Streetlights out here. Houses and streets among woods.   
But there was no traffic, or any human beings outside.   
As if, the town was devoid of human life at night. Like   
last night.  
_____Except now, Gally's brain was not disoriented by   
the process that brought her to this time period. And she   
saw the town's darkness. In Scrap Iron City, at least   
there were always plenty of artificial lights and real,   
solid buildings all around. Here, darkness coated the   
nearby suburban residential areas--and the woods.   
Everything seemed unreal at night. And they were driving   
through it.  
_____Gally wanted daylight again. But now, she had to   
investigate...and fight. "Oh, SHIT!" she heard Vannessa   
exclaim. Gally looked right--at Vannessa. Vannessa was   
looking at the radar readout.  
_____Slowing down the scout car, Vicki asked, "What is it?   
A group of Night People on radar, Vannessa?"   
_____"Hell no! This is something BIG," said Vicki's   
sister-gynoid. "It's like that big radar blip we saw last   
month. No... It IS that big radar blip. 2 o'clock   
position from our current location. About three-fourths of  
a mile away."  
_____Vicki's electronic mind called up an electronic map for  
a second. Then she knew. "That's beyond the back road with   
the mini-dump--near the industrial field off Somerset."   
_____"Hell YEAH!" agreed Vannessa. "But it's moving   
again! Damn, Vicki... Let's hunt it down."  
_____Gally listened, then understood. "I seem to understand  
that, if the cause of this town's night woes is not stopped,   
then at least the symptoms can be destroyed by way of fighting."  
_____Vannessa smiled. "And that's the way it's gonna be  
if we don't figure out what's happening! Plenty of   
kick-ass for years!" This vehicle drove on through the   
night.   
  
_____Several hours of slow and fast driving, and they   
tracked the large object detected by the radar. It was  
actually moving from area to area. First, it was at the   
mini-dump. Then it seemed to move quickly through the   
back roads. And then it was so close that everyone could   
HEAR the thing... Clomping along the road at a running   
pace. Whatever it was, the thing was big and heavy...and   
probably dangerous.  
_____"It's moving back to the open field area near   
Veronica Plaza," said Vannessa, her eyes on the radar.   
"And it's slowing down. Maybe it's tired."   
_____"But what if the Night People figured out how to   
make a vehicle?" asked Vicki. "Or, what if it's something   
else? Then, it wouldn't be tired."   
_____Gally spoke up. "Be what it may, we should at least   
get it within sight. We should identify the threat."  
_____They were driving there anyway. Vicki sped up the  
vehicle along Somerset--this vehicle's headlights and   
overhead lights glaring ahead. She slowed the vehicle, then  
turned onto the grassy and bumpier field. Then, she  
stopped the vehicle and turned it around to face Somerset  
Street. This way, if they had to make a quick retreat,   
all they had to do was hop in and drive.   
_____"It's here..." said Vannessa. "Right in this   
fucking field--not far from the Veronica Plaza commercial  
area. And other Night People are keeping their distance.   
Maybe they're waiting for the big thing to finish us off."  
_____"Before we disembark..." began Gally. "What of   
photography? Will our sight alone be confirmation enough?"  
_____Vannessa patted the sophisticated dashboard. "Don't  
worry about that. This is a scout car, Gally. Remember?   
It's always taking digital and enhanced pictures. That's   
another reason why Mr. Dark is always looking at that   
computer he's got in the white office--looking at   
pictures. And I don't mean porn."   
______"Uh, I think it's coming..." said Vicki. "I can   
hear it. And this vehicle doesn't have onboard weapons."  
_____"Yeah," agreed Vannessa. "It's just a big armored  
crate for speed and spying. Let's get out and kick some   
ass!" Vannessa opened the door on her side and hopped out.   
Vicki also opened a door and hopped out of the vehicle.   
Gally followed.  
_____Out of the vehicle, they jogged away from the   
armored scout car--which faced the street. Out here, in   
a flat and dark field of grass. In the distance was   
indirect lighting of nearby stores and a parking lot. The   
lights from over there made for light enough for the three   
to see the big target. And they almost regretted being   
able to see it. A real monstrosity.   
_____It was big--really big. Twenty feet tall, it looked   
like a mini-giant--barely lit by the distant lights.  
Thick legs that looked strong enough to hold up a small   
car. It's torso massive. The arms at its sides were   
massively lumped with strength--gigantic fists at the  
ends of those arms. It had no head, though. But that was   
not the worst part: Given the enhanced eyesight of Gally,   
Vicki and Vannessa, they saw what the mini-giant was made   
of. It's body was a grotesque amalgamation of muscle tissue  
and metal.  
_____A twenty-foot nightmare beast of flesh and junk. A   
nasty cross between a junk pile and a huge, skinless corpse.   
Somehow, the Night People must have used junk, metal and   
human flesh to shape that monstrosity. And it began   
stomping its way over to here. But the three stood their   
ground. Raising their fists and getting into fighting   
stances, the three readied for battle.  
  
_____It stopped the distance of fifteen meters away. It  
raised its giant right fist. Whoomp-thunk! Gally, Vicki   
and Vannessa leapt away in different directions when that  
fist came down. Shaking the ground.   
_____Gally snapped to her feet. She ran behind it. She   
jumped forward and struck out with her metal fist. That   
blow struck it in the meat and metal of the thing's left   
hip, making it stagger. Gally landed from attacking.   
Large, but it lacks armor, she thought--some of the beast's   
meat clinging to the metal of her right fist.  
_____Vicki, crouching at the right side of the meat-and-metal  
mini-giant, saw it stagger when Gally struck. "Good idea, Gally!  
We'll cripple it!"  
_____Vannessa, standing at the left side of the giant,  
agreed. "Yeah, the bigger they are, the harder they go  
down!" She ran forward, then her right leg blurred as she   
kicked. Her high kick struck away some of the mini-giant's  
lower leg muscle.   
_____The thing staggered yet again. There was then a   
massive and deep roar from the grotesque mini-giant--a roar  
that sounded like a demonic mix between beast and construction   
machine. Everyone was stunned as the roar shook their   
synthetic bodies.   
_____It pulled back its right fist, then SWOOPED it. Making  
an air-tearing sound. Then came the impact.   
_____Vicki was HIT. After the impact, she went flying off   
into the night. Landing HARD somewhere else. She was   
nowhere to be seen...  
_____"Vicki-i-i!" shouted Vannessa. Vicki did not respond.  
"O-o-h! I'm gonna kick your big, evil, ugly ass!" shouted   
Vannessa at the mini-giant--which swayed on its thick ugly  
legs. She ran to the mini-giant's right side, then kicked.   
Doing that, she had kicked away some of the leg muscle tissue   
and some of the metal junk parts.   
_____Another massive ROAR shook the night. Gally and   
Vannessa were again stunned by the intensity of the sound.   
And then things were silent. The massive, hulking bastard   
hybrid of meat-and-metal stood there--as if contemplating  
the damage done to its legs and hips. Then, it slowly   
toppled... Falling... WHOOMPH!   
_____When its back struck the field, it made the ground   
quake. There were a few puffs of flame from its chest from  
the damage caused by the fall, and then it stopped moving.   
Fallen, the huge monstrosity would never stand again.   
_____Gally heard some screams. Some coughing. Then the  
silence again. "SOMEONE is within in that fallen beast!"   
she shouted, surprised. "It is a vehicle! With human   
pilots!"   
_____Vanessa stepped around the dead and smoking thing,  
over to Gally. "You can try to take the pilots out. I'll   
go get my sister!" Vannessa then ran away--to where her  
sister landed after she was struck.  
_____Moving carefully, Gally approached the smoldering   
mini-giant. It smelled like cooking meat and machine   
exhaust. She had heard the screams from the chest of   
the thing. Indeed, standing on the thing's huge chest,   
she saw there were two bolted steel plates set in the meat   
of the pectoral muscles. A true monster.   
_____Gally put her metal fingers between the meat and the  
steel plates, getting a grip on both the plates. Then she   
YANKED. With a meaty r-r-rip, the steel plates came away.  
That revealed the two children lying inside the mini-giant,   
lit by glowing red lights coming from within.   
_____"Children?!" asked Gally aloud, surprised. Indeed,  
inside the giant had been two small children--little bigger  
than toddlers. Very carefully, she knelt down and pulled   
each of them out of the chest of the mini-giant--which was  
really a dual cockpit.   
_____Having pulled the unconscious children from the wrecked   
meat-and-metal mini-giant and laid them on the dark grass  
nearby, Gally looked around. She heard laughter... Looked  
around. To the north was woods--black in the night. East   
was the brightly lit nearby commercial area--stores and   
such. South of this field was the road out. The armored   
scout car parked not far away.  
_____Gally heard giggling from the woods. And she heard  
the rustling of leaves and branches being moved. Night   
People were there.   
_____"GALLY!" shouted Vannessa from the armored scout car.   
Gally turned around. "My sister is shut down! But we beat   
that giant motherfucker! Let's get out of here!"  
_____Gally picked up the still-unconscious children,   
hoisted them onto her solid shoulders. Then she jogged   
her way over to the armored scout car--shining brightly   
in this field. The back door was open.   
_____In a moment, Gally was there. She put the children   
next to an unmoving Vicki in the back, then climbed into  
the vehicle herself. "Close the door!" shouted Vannessa   
from the driver's seat. Gally closed the armored rear   
door, then turned the handle to seal it. Safe inside the   
vehicle.  
  
_____They were going to leave this area... Vannessa then   
put her foot to the accelerator, and the vehicle moved out   
of the dark field and onto Somerset Street. She drove the   
vehicle away from that dark field. "Vicki's been damaged to   
shut-down mode," said Vannessa from the driver's seat--loud   
enough for Gally to hear above the gentle rumble of the   
engine. "Dr. Briette's gonna be either sad or pissed. And   
what about the pilots of that monster-thing?"  
_____Back here in the rear part of the vehicle, Gally   
knelt by the rear door. Vicki--laid out near some of   
the computerized equipment at the left side--looked as if   
she were sleeping, but her mouth was opened oddly. Not  
moving at all. Next to her were the two pilots of the  
meat-and-metal mini-giant--two children.  
_____The two children slumbered--two innocent-looking   
children in little tee-shirts and little blue coveralls.   
One with short straight hair and the other with long hair.   
They were fraternal twins, boy and girl.  
_____"Simply children..." said Gally to herself. "The   
pilots of the massive nightmare vehicle were merely   
CHILDREN."  
_____"WHAT the HELL?" voiced Vannessa from the front part of  
this vehicle. "Are you serious, Gally? Fucking KIDS...?   
Hey, they're still alive! I can hear the little fuckers   
breathing."  
_____Gally regarded them. "Indeed, they yet live. They  
seem uninjured save for possible smoke inhalation. Dr. Briette   
and Mr. Dark will likely want to speak with them come morning."  
_____The car rode on through the night. And there was just   
Gally in the back, sitting there and riding for the next few   
hours. Sitting in the rear part of this armored vehicle,   
looking at the sleeping children and the dead gynoid...   
Gally shook her head.   
_____No, death was best a term used for living beings.   
Vicki was a machine, a MACHINE. Come morning, when the   
night was vanquished by the light of day, they would go   
back to the white office and the cybernetics lab in the   
basement.   
_____Vicki would be repaired. She would awaken, and all  
would be well again. Being artificial had advantages.   
Machines can be fixed... Vicki was not "dead," just broken.  
_____Machines? "Hah, hah..." Gally gave a small laugh and   
looked down at her own body. Her sleek and exquisite   
female-shaped body...made of metal. She brought her metal   
fingers to her synthetic-flesh face, touching her pale   
cheeks. She then patted her own straight, night-dark hair.   
Within her own head, she knew, was a real brain. She was a  
cyborg, not fully a machine--unlike Vicki and Vannessa. How   
much of Gally--body and mind--could be repaired if damaged?   
_____Then, there was rumored to be a certain scientist who  
could rejuvenate a dead brain--back in Gally's home-time.  
If that were so, then her "life" was further cheapened.   
Like part of a broken doll, maybe her brain could be   
repaired.  
_____But as for those who killed or broke others, they   
must also see life as being cheap. Gally looked down at  
the two coverall-wearing children sleeping on the floor.  
If they were bold enough to kill at such a young age, then   
this time period could be just as dark and wrong as the 31st   
Century.   
_____"Hey, Gally-girl!" shouted Vannessa from the front,   
her voice coming through the metal door--the door that   
separated the front from the back of this vehicle. "How are   
ya holding up back there? You've been pretty damned quiet...   
Not turning psycho on me, are you? 'Cause if you are, just be   
sure not to kill those kids...yet."  
_____Startled out of her thoughts, Gally looked wide-eyed  
at the metal door. "As for killing, Vannessa, what of   
your opinion? Your opinion of the very children that   
killed, or broke, your sister..." Gally was unsure of how   
Vannessa would put it...   
_____"It's no big deal..so far," said Vannessa, her voice  
resonating through the metal door. "I don't think of   
Vicki as 'dead,' just 'shut down.' I mean, my sister and   
I... We're GYNOIDS, remember? We're robots who LOOK and   
ACT like human females. We don't have souls or anything   
like that, so we don't 'die.'   
_____"Anyway... Vicki will just be fixed up by Dr. Briette   
when the sun comes up. But about those kids, I think   
they're psycho. I mean, think about that nasty-looking   
THING they controlled! Humans can be crazier than me   
sometimes..."  
_____When Vannessa stopped talking, Gally looked at the  
floor--where three still beings lie. Put that way, from   
what Vannessa said, all three were "sleeping." The fraternal   
twins lie there, breathing... Their breathing sped up.  
_____Something seemed to be happening to the two children.   
They writhed, stretched out their arms. Their faces showed  
pained expressions. And they began to whimper as they   
awoke.   
_____Were those two children actually children? Or were   
they two more of the mutated Night People that plagued this  
town at night? Would they try to cause damage in here?   
_____"Gally, I hear the little fuckers waking up!" said   
Vannessa. "And I can't stop driving--the radar shows   
swarms of Night People all over the place! Do something!"   
_____"What am I to do?" asked Gally aloud. This, while  
the two same-sized and samely dressed little kids sat up   
and began rubbing their eyes. The vehicle hit a slight   
bump, and the two children grabbed each other for support.  
More awake now!  
_____One of the fraternal twins, the little boy, gave a   
loud squeal. "Ai-i-i-gh! We should have followed the   
LITTLE MAN! Why didn't we follow the LITTLE MAN?"   
_____His twin sister shouted, "We didn't follow the LITTLE  
MAN! NOW WE'RE IN TROUBLE! Where is the nice LITTLE   
MAN? Where is HE?" The little girl clutched her twin  
brother.   
_____To keep from falling over in this moving vehicle,   
Gally did a crouching walk over to the children. Kneeling,   
she laid her left hand on one of the boy's shoulders, then   
a hand on one of the girl's shouders. They looked wide-eyed   
at Gally, their dark eyes staring.   
_____Not quite staring at HER, though. For a moment, Gally  
thought the children stared at her metal body. Those two   
children, they seemed to be staring beyond Gally. As if   
they were seeing something Gally could not see--seeing   
something sane people could not see. Gally knew the look   
both the children had: It was the look of madness.   
_____But they KNEW about the Little Man. Leaning closer,   
her young synthetic face close to theirs and her dark hair  
glnting in the light, she asked, "Please do tell me. What   
do you know of such a man? Do tell... Is he at all   
connected to what comes to pass?"  
_____The little girl spoke. "The Little Man is SCARY! But  
he's part of the light. He could take us out of the   
darkening...! Why didn't we follow the LITTLE MAN? We're   
SCARED! Little Man! Little Man!"  
_____Then the little boy said something just as incoherent.  
"He danced his dance! Walking through the quiet streets.  
Snappity snap-snap! Clicking his fingers and dancing that   
walk! Bad oatmeal for us 'cause we didn't follow him! We   
went the wrong way..."  
_____Something was very wrong with what the twins were   
saying. Yet, the things they mentioned matched her own  
knowledge about the Little Man and something about the   
clues he gave her. "Oatmeal? And dancing?" asked Gally.   
_____The twins stared at her. They had nothing to say.   
"Hey!" interrupted Vannessa. "Those kids are goin' nuts!   
Put 'em back to sleep. Vicki should have some leftover   
knockout spray in her left pocket. Use it on those little   
rugrats! It worked on you, so it should work on them!"  
_____Gally eyed the children, who huddled together in a   
corner of this compartment. She then carefully backed   
away, back to where Vicki lie very still. Feeling as if   
she were robbing a corpse (Vicki is NOT human, she told  
herself), Gally knelt and felt around in the left pocket   
of Vicki's jeans. A srangely deep pocket. Where was the  
spray?   
_____Vannessa spoke up from the front. "By the way, Vicki  
and I have weird pockets. You have to THINK about things  
to get what you want."  
_____Then Gally did. She thought of the spray, envisioned  
it. As soon as she mentally pictured the little spray can   
of knockout gas, she felt it appear in Vicki's left pocket.   
Then she pulled it out. Eyed it. She was SURE that the   
spray wasn't in Vicki's left pocket before...   
_____"You got it? Cool, ain't it?" asked Vannessa. "Don't   
ask about how our pockets work. Anyway, just use that   
spray on those kids."  
_____Gally looked at the huddling, quivering children. She   
crouch-walked close to them, then knelt. Holding her breath  
in her artificial lungs, she sprayed them. In their faces.   
Both of them yawned, then slumped. The spray knocked them   
out. Gally hoped she did not use an excess of it.   
_____"You did it?" asked Vannessa aloud. "I don't hear 'em  
anymore. Unless the spray... Heh, heh, heh... That would  
be a mother-fucking shame if it did. Whoops, don't want  
YOU knocked out, too." Then there was the slightly louder  
machine sound of an air filtration system revving up; the   
air tainted by the drug spray was pumped outside--replaced   
by more fresh filtered air.   
_____"Okay," said Vannessa. "I had the air circulation   
system do a purge. It ought to be okay for you to   
breathe."   
_____The children were unconscious again. Yet again, it   
was Gally riding in the back--with three unmoving people.   
Vicki, not functioning, lying still. The twin children   
lying slumped in a corner, sleeping again. Everyone but  
Gally was unconscious.  
_____Gally moved to the corner to the left of the forward   
metal door. She sat in that corner, then huddled there  
herself. Closed her eyes.   
_____How many hours before dawn? Were events of this sort   
nightly events? So much was wrong with this town and its   
people... Gally never read of this dark and strange little  
town in history texts. And, she never even knew that such   
a thing as time travel was at all developed in this time   
period--if at all.   
_____Indeed, something had happened to this town. And   
something was stiill happening. Gally now wanted more to   
find out WHAT. Maybe then, she could go back to her own  
home time-period.  
  
_____She thought those thoughts as Vannessa continued to  
drive this vehicle through town. Gally was a rider through   
a vast and dark night she had never known before. True  
nightmares in this town. Likely, this armored scout car's   
radar showed more of those mutant Night People all around.  
_____Gally stood up from where she had put herself to   
think, a huddling place in a corner. She was restless.  
How could anyone relax knowing full well that monstrous  
people from an altered reality were all around...?   
_____When she was sure this vehicle was moving more steadily,  
Gally moved to the metal door that separated the forward  
driver's section from the rear payload area. She opened the  
metal door, then went in.  
_____Vannessa had the look of a surprisingly careful   
driver, given her otherwise careless and reckless simulated   
personality. "Hey there, metal-bodied girl!" she said to   
Gally. She took her left hand off the steering wheel, then   
quickly took something out of her left pocket. Surprising   
how Vannessa could remove--let alone store--anything in   
the pockets of her very tight jeans. It must be the odd   
technology incorporated into Vannessa's jeans.   
_____"Have a candy bar," she said to Gally. Indeed, Vannessa   
had taken a candy bar from her left pocket. Now she put it   
on the dashboard.  
_____"Thank you, Vannessa..." said Gally, taking and   
accepting the candy bar--more glucose for her brain. She   
may as well take it as she could get it. At any time,   
something could happen when her brain needed the extra   
energy. Opening the wrapper and taking a bite, she said,   
"Are you unable to keep steady watch by radar, Vannessa?"  
_____"Too busy driving..." said the gynoid, her eyes on   
the night road ahead. "The evil little kids we got are   
asleep, right? So... You keep a watch on the radar on   
the right side of the dashboard. It's easy, just look   
out for the bright red dot-clusters. Those are Night  
People. Like, anybody could do it."   
_____Gally finished her candy bar, then looked to the right.  
Looked to that part of the dashboard set in front of the   
right seat. Just a glance, and she saw trouble. "The radar   
screen shows a cluster ahead, Vannessa. Not at all far   
ahead." Meaning...  
_____"Oh, shit!" exclaimed Vannessa. "Gally, quick! Hold   
on!" Gally did, and Vannessa GRIPPED the steering wheel.   
TH-THUMP... "Just mowed over a Night Person!"  
_____"There are yet many more," said Gally, perhaps too  
calmly. She then gripped the reinorced part of the dashboard   
as Vannessa swerved the vehicle. "I doubt if we can evade..."  
_____"We're not too far from Franklin High School, then we  
could... Oh, damn it!" Vannessa said that, then slowed   
the vehicle, before she had to really step on the brakes.   
This armored scout car, big as it was, was able to screech   
to a stop with ease.   
_____They were stopped along a back road in the more   
tree-filled area of this town. Darkened trees at the sides  
of this road. The powerful headlights and overhead lights  
of this scout car provided much more light on the road  
than the nearby streetlights. Then, there was the sound   
of laughter from outside the vehicle. Laughter out in the   
night.   
_____They were audible before they were visible, the Night  
People. They were like shadows detaching themselves from   
the darkness of the stands of trees at the sides of this  
road. Laughing, they came to block the road ahead. And   
Gally was able to see them in detail, because scout car's  
overhead lights illuminated them.  
_____Before, she fought them in dim lighting. Now she saw   
what she fought. They were ordinary people, once--ordinary   
human beings. Casually dressed men and business-suited men.   
Women in dresses. Teenagers in tee shirts and jeans. But   
now they had become...something else. Their skin was pasty   
gray. And though their clothes were in good condition after  
their change, there was something wrong with their bodies--  
because many of them had pieces of junk jammed into them.   
_____Parts... Parts of junk were parts of their bodies.   
A pipe in that man's chest. Engine parts stuck onto that   
woman's back. Some teenagers with old wires jammed into   
their heads. Somehow, they did not bleed. Possibly,   
because the Night People were already dead. The walking   
dead of the night... Laughing in the darkness, ready to  
maim and kill people who dared to go out at night in   
Franklin Township.   
_____Gally knew better than to ask what those things were.   
They were the Night People. And they wanted to DESTROY.  
Now, a group of those Night People--junk as parts of their  
bodies--stood in the way.   
_____"Remain within this vehicle, Vannessa, " said Gally.   
"This is to be a moment of mine..." And then she opened  
the door on her side--closed it behind her while Vannessa  
gave her a thumbs-up.   
  
_____Gally stepped out before the armored scout car,   
headlights lighting up the road quite nicely. In the lighting,  
she could see the group of Night People blocking the   
roadway. Some of them looked at Gally, laughed, then   
ran off into the shadows. Then two more ran into the shadows.  
Six of them stayed. Six once-human beings, changed by   
whatever changed Franklin Township at night. They stood and   
laughed.  
_____For just a moment, Gally--this little solitary cyborg--  
was afraid. It was different before, because she did not   
see what the enemy looked like. But now, she attacked!  
_____Hit and run: a strategy to use when confronting   
multiple enemies. Her metal feet pattering rapid-fire against  
the road, Gally was running at the group of Night People. She   
then began to sli-i-ide along on her metal feet--sending up a   
massive wave of sparks from the road.   
_____The shower of sparks stunned most of the six Night   
People. With so many of them distracted, Gally was able to   
attack with ease. Two cyborg-quick punches, and she cut   
open the bodies of two Night People. She then sidestepped   
to avoid the falling bodies. Hit and run...  
_____Clothes smoldering from that last shower of sparks,   
one of the Night People attacked before Gally could run back.   
One swung its left arm, a knot of steel cable wire tied   
through the gray flesh of its left hand. CLINK-K-K!   
_____Gally just managed to block the attack by raising her  
arms, blocked in such a way that the blow glanced up. The   
enemy trying to pull its arm back for another attack.   
_____Then, Gally attacked--a kick. That Night Person's legs were cut   
off below the knee from Gally's kick. Another one down.  
_____The other three Night People tried to rush Gally.  
Then Gally did a very quick one-handed cartwheel, her   
left arm holdinig her up and her right arm moving   
blurringly fast.   
_____When the girl-cyborg stood straight up again, two  
more Night People clutched their bellies--before their   
intestines spilled out and they fell to the street. In   
doing that cartwheel, Gally had also cut through two more  
of the enemy.   
_____One more remaining. It looked down at the carnage on   
the street--the opened and bleeding bodies. Then it   
laughed. Then Gally laughed as well...as she leapt and   
kicked--kicking off the last enemy's head. Gally landed,   
and the headless corpse fell right after.  
_____Snapping back into a fighting stance, her metal fists   
raised, Gally looked around--looked at this scene lit up  
by headlight. If Night people were of the undead before,   
the ones here were truly dead now. Gally had eliminated   
the Night People who blocked this road. Their altered and   
gray-fleshed bodies bled onto the street. But their blood   
was not red...if it was blood.   
_____Because the Night People had an ink-dark substance for   
"blood." It was a dark, shiny semi-fluid that looked like   
crude petroleum mixed with bile. All the same, whatever  
they had for blood, Night People could be defeated with   
physical force.   
_____Oh yes, they could be defeated! Gally grinned a huge   
grin--surprisingly wide for such a small mouth. She had   
enjoyed cutting and smashing the Night People! Sweet fun, how   
they bled. Their bodies around were the aftermath of a climax.   
She so wanted to...  
_____Some headlights blinked. Gally turned around to face   
the scout car back along the road. "Gally!" shouted Vannessa   
from a rolled-down vehicle window. "Get your metal-bodied   
self back here! We've gotta ROLL before more of them build   
up!"   
_____Gally took some more seconds to regard the wonderful   
mess she made of the Night People... "GALLY! WHAT DID I  
SAY? YOU GOING PSYCHO OUT THERE?"   
_____Deliberately forcing away the smile on her face,   
Gally walked back to the armored scout car. She felt   
satisfied. Satisfied enough for tonight.   
  
  
  
  
__(NAO) Wasn't Elana to help me find a GOOD white-collar  
job along a bus route--using monster.com?  
  
__(NAO-?) E-mail Gamewinners.com my Phantasy Star tip   
about tapping the space bar (or weighing it down with   
something) to turn off the annoying pop-up pallatte.   
--Also, get a better zip backup of Maniac Mansion; store   
it on both disks this time... 


	4. Chapter 4

Timefall: Chapter 4 (by Elliot Bowers)   
  
_____Vannessa continued to drive this armored vehicle.   
The starless and absolutely black night sky overhead, the  
streets somewhat lit streetlights, she drove on. And   
at her right, that metal-bodied girl kept her watch on the   
radar screen on the dashboard. She--Gally--actually   
expected more encounters. Anticipated them. WANTED them.   
_____"Gally, you're staring at that thing like it's gonna   
MAKE trouble appear!" said Vannessa. "But no, we're not   
going to get into any more rumbles tonight. My sister's   
down, my own mobility systems took a jingle, and you're   
losing your cute little mind. We're all screwed."   
_____"YOU!" shouted Gally. "How do YOU COME TO STATE   
THAT? My mind yet functions well!" Her large dark eyes   
glared at Vannessa. "You, a mere SYNTHETIC COPY OF   
HUMANITY, cannot understand my own desires!"  
_____"Woah there, little Gally!" said Vannessa, careful   
enough to keep her eyes on the road. "See what I'm   
getting at? You're losing your cool. I saw how you fight.   
And I saw that freaky look on your face right after....   
Damn, I think you get sexual kicks from killing things."   
_____Some seconds of silence. Vannessa continued.   
"Yeah, and you said I'm a 'copy of humanity.' I'm proud   
NOT to be human, thank you very much."  
_____Gally knew that she offended Vannessa; she backed down.  
Spited, she still retorted. "There is no shame in the   
enjoyment of my profession," said Gally. "I enjoy the   
doing."   
_____"Yeah, heh-heh..." chuckled Vannessa. "You enjoy it  
a bit too much. What's your job in that future-time of yours,   
anyway? You some kinda prizefighter? Kickboxing or   
something?"  
_____"Prizefighting, indeed. I am one of many bounty   
hunters--hunter-warriors--in Scrap Iron City," answered   
Gally. "Though, money is not the focus--not ever again..."  
Her voice trailed off, and her eyelids drooped down--then   
stayed down for some seconds. Indeed, that last fight   
relaxed Gally a bit too much.  
_____Vannessa glanced at Gally. "Hey, you're supposed to  
be watching the radar, kid! You falling asleep on me?  
Who am I supposed to talk to then, huh? It's still a few  
hours before dawn, and I got a LOT of driving to do to keep   
us away from groups of those night freaks. And I don't   
just mean Night People. All kinds of things are on the   
road at night in this town."  
_____Gally heard most of what Vannessa said. At least,   
she heard up to the words, "a LOT of driving." But after   
that, the rest of Vannessa's chatter seemed to drift away.  
Gally herself felt drifting into the warm darkness of sleep.   
_____So set, the petite cyborg put her solid hands in her   
lap, then leaned her head of dark hair against the seat   
cushion. Her eyes were closed. She was falling asleep.   
Felt herself falling.... But though her brain was   
relaxing, she was also afraid of what awaited her in sleep.   
Unfamiliarity...  
  
_____....Gally sat up. She found herself seated at this   
familar round formica table. Looking around, she saw that   
she could not see her surroundings--of course. And there   
was that overhead light that shone down without a source--  
from nowhere. This place, where the rules were different.   
_____She was here again, the place the Little Man called   
"The Third Place." This place she went to through her   
dreams--though there could be another way... Seated here,   
she expected that dwarf-midget to appear.   
_____An odd but friendly breeze blew through here. Then  
he was there--seated opposite Gally. It was indeed the   
Little Man again. The Little Man was dressed as usual in   
his red suit, slacks, and black silk-looking shirt.   
_____"Congratulations!" he said, then gestured to the   
table. On this table appeared two rusty wrenches--coated   
with blood. Twin wrenches. Yet another representation ...  
_____As if explaining, the Little Man said, "The two shall   
darken the town no more!" Grinning, he then took a   
yellow-colored flashlight from somewhere and held it in   
his right hand. He shone the flashlight's golden-colored  
lighg on the two bloody wrenches on the formica tabletop.  
_____Gally began to understand the puzzle-talk of the Little   
Man. At least, so she thought; everything here is a reference  
to SOMETHING in reality...  
_____The Little Man then looked sad. "But sorry... Sorry..."   
he said to Gally. And Gally noticed that the flashlight the   
Little Man held was doing something to the two rusty, blood-  
soaked wrenches on the table. Rather, the light was doing   
something to the two wrenches.   
_____The light from the yellow flashlight made the wrenches   
smoke... No, Gally saw more than that. The light made the   
wrenches dissolve into gray smoke--familiar-looking gray  
smoke. Then the smoke began to spread. What did it mean?   
_____"They will be in THE breeze," said the Little Man.   
"Give, then they will..." And as the smoke began to spread,   
Gally began to fall away...  
  
_____And she woke up...in reality. Woke up without hearing   
the familiar and steady sound of the scout car's engine. Because the  
engine was off... Because the scout car was stopped. But   
it was still night--night here in Franklin Township.   
_____Looking out the front window, her mind surprisingly   
clear of sleep, Gally saw a wide area of sectioned--off parking  
lots. A one-floor building across the way and a lit-up   
gray building to the right--buildings of the municipal complex.   
_____Yes, they were parked in the municipal complex. She   
looked out through the windshield and the side-windows. All   
around were bright florescnt lights on decorous metal poles.   
Though the surrounding tree-filled area was as dark as night,   
this immediate area was well-lit.   
_____"We are stopped?" asked Gally. "For what reason? A   
vehicular malfunction?"  
_____"Nah..." said Vannessa, making a waving gesture--  
nonchalance. "Night's almost over, and we've done enough   
patrolling for tonight. Besides, I don't want to want to   
scare any more humans than necessary by driving this big-ass   
thing on the road when morning comes.   
_____"But anyway, about time you woke up, Gally. I hear   
those two kids in the back squirming. I'm not too damned   
good with kids--HUMAN kids. Vicki's good with human-spawn,   
but she's in no condition for babysitting. So, would you   
please-please-PLEASE go deal with'em when they get up and   
start whining?"   
_____Gally turned around on her seat as so she sat facing   
Vannessa on the left. Then she spread her metal arms, as   
if to hug someone with her petite and lithe body...of   
metal. "Am I one to softly comfort children?" she asked   
Vannessa. "I can offer peaceful kisses as my face is of   
synthetic flesh, but the rest of my physique is..."  
_____"Yeah, yeah... I get it," said Vannessa. "Metal   
bodies can't hug. Tell ya what. I'll come back with   
you...after a while to help if necessary. Just don't   
expect me to breast-feed the little fuckers--'cause my   
tits are about as real as the rest of me." She then got   
up from the driver seat and went to the metal door that   
separated the front part from the rear.   
_____Gally stood away from her seat. Then she also paused.  
She put her hands over the center of her chest--palms in   
between the feminine shapes on her chest that would be   
breasts...if her body were not made of metal. She would   
never bear children with her body. Nor could she enjoy...other  
pleasures.   
_____"Gally, PLEASE get back here..." said Vannessa from   
the other side of the doorway. "I think these brats are   
gonna make some noise."  
_____Another few deep breaths--air into her body of   
machinery--and she moved. Her metal feet lightly touching  
the metal floor. Her solid lithe arms used to open the metal   
door to get to the back part of this armored scout car.   
Vannessa was in the back, kneeling by Vicki and the two   
kids.   
_____Back in the rear part of the armored car, Gally looked   
at the two sleeping children--twins. Young children, by   
her estimate. But then again, she knew that her judgement   
was influenced by her life in Scrap Iron City--where   
poverty and pollution was commonplace enough to cause   
growth stunting. Also, the night could have changed these   
two to becoming children again by way of a kind of   
mutagenic change.   
_____"Vannessa, more than one presence could intimidate,"   
said Gally. "Maybe best, you should remain up front."  
_____Grinning and giving a thumbs-up, Vannessa did. She  
went through the metal door and to the front part of this  
vehicle. Closed the door...   
  
_____Leaving Gally back here with the potentially inhuman   
children. And then they began to awaken. She saw them   
writhe and mewl, sitting up. She watched them carefully.   
Though the two looked like children in coveralls and tee   
shirts, sneakers on their feet, they could actually be   
something other than human.  
_____More awake, they looked around. Sitting with their   
backs against the left side where some of this vehicle's   
electronic equipment was set. They seemed normal. But,   
did normal human children pilot grotesque fighting machines  
made of flesh and metal?  
_____And they squinted, though this vehicle's internal   
lighting was not especially bright. Gally wondered if   
they would start talking lost gibberish again. Watched   
and wondered. She chose to speak first.  
_____But spoke carefully. Asked them, "What are your names?   
And what has happened to you? Are you well?"  
_____The little boy looked up to turn his squinting gaze at   
Gally. "I'm Bubbi. My sister is Bollini. We got lost   
at night," he said.  
_____Then the girl spoke, also squinting. "We got lost.   
But that's not everything. Mom and dad told us not to go   
out at night. But we didn't listen. We snuck out of the   
house at sunset, 'cause sunset is so pretty. Like the way   
sunset used to be before things started happening. Night   
came...   
_____"....Came really fast." said the boy, completing  
his twin sister's spoken thought--just as she also finished   
his. "We didn't even see sunset. Like, the night was in a   
hurry! Then, we couldn't see or hear so well at night...  
at first. Like how we can't see so well now. These   
lights..."  
_____"...Lights are really bright," said the girl. "I   
think our eyes are messed up. The Night People said they'd  
fix our eyes so we could help them do their things. Help  
them do what what they did. They said they wanted our   
help in fixing the town."  
_____"So we let them change us," said the boy. "They   
brought us to the junkyard, where there was a really ugly   
machine. They said it was fixing the town at night and   
could fix us. While we were being taken to there, there   
was the Little Man following us. He tried to lead us away   
from the Night People."  
_____Said the girl, "And then the Night People took us to the   
junkyard. The lights were wrong, but we knew where it   
was. They took us inside, where... Where there are those   
stacks of broken cars and machines. But in the middle,   
there was this really, really dark machine."  
_____Said the boy, "And it was an UGLY machine. It looked  
like some kind of truck engine or something. Looked like   
a big block with parts all over it. The Night People brought  
us close to the machine, and they all started laughing!   
We thought they were our friends!"   
_____"But they were there when the machine took us over!"  
shouted the girl. "Our heads started to hurt. We started   
to forget everything... Now we're..."  
_____"We're here," finished the boy. "We're feeling better  
now, but our eyes are still messed up. Lady, it's really  
bright in here. Could you turn off the lights or let us  
outside?"  
_____Gally contemplated the childrens' situation. They   
must have had no memory of piloting that meat-and-metal   
mini-giant--as if that machine had used their sleeping   
minds in some way. But now, the boy wanted to stand   
outside.   
_____"Then," said Gally, "Let us stand outside. That is,   
unless you yet fear the Night People."  
_____The boy and girl looked at each other. To Gally, the   
girl said, "If you hold our hands, we think we'll be okay...  
Even when the sun comes up. Please, nice lady?"  
_____Odd how, thus far, the children had not commented on   
Gally's metal body. Nor had they mentioned Vicki--lying   
on the floor all this time as she was still shut down from   
damage. It must be their altered and too light-sensitive   
eyesight making them NOT see things as they were.  
_____Or, something else could be wrong here. Were these  
two children lures of some kind--acting out pre-set roles of  
trickery? Gally had the idea that, just beneath their skin,   
there was something not right about those two children.   
They were--indeed--altered by some kind of process that   
happened at night. Altered by that mysterious machine.   
_____If they are lures, thought Gally, then I would like   
to confront the trap itself. Smiling, she said aloud to   
the children, "Then, we shall go out and stand. Outside  
is where we will see night fade into day."  
_____"Really, lady?" asked the girl. "You'll stand with   
us when the daytime comes? And you'll help us?" Gally   
nodded. Both the girl and boy smiled. "How do we get out   
of here?"   
_____Looking once more at their smiling faces, Gally went  
to the rearmost part of the vehicle. She then opened the  
armored door to the outside. With her right hand held   
to the two and her left hand on the door--metal on metal--she  
said, "Come along."  
_____Walking together, still ignoring or not seeing Vicki's   
still body on the floor, the squinting twin children   
approached Gally. Gally, standing at the way out.   
_____Gally hopped out. She then turned and helped the   
children out and down. Helped them stand in the parking   
lot.   
  
_____They were outside again, in the part of the municipal  
complex just in front of the police station. Night sky   
overhead, everything lit by lights on tall lamp posts. The   
armored scout car was parked here, so they stayed here.   
This place was as good as any to watch the day come.  
_____Gally held out her hands. The girl moved to Gally's   
right side, holding one of Gally's metal hands. And the   
boy moved to Gally's left, holding Gally's other metal hand.  
Then she carefully held their hands. They were three   
people, not so tall, standing and looking at the dark sky.   
Waiting for daytime.   
_____The sun would rise behind them, but looking into the   
sunrise was not really their goal; they just wanted to see  
the day come. And the light of day was coming. "Look!"  
said the girl, "The sky's gonna be pretty!"  
_____"I see it! I see it!" said the boy, his altered eyes  
shedding tears. With his free hand, he pointed at the sky. "Look,   
it's getting brighter!"  
_____The girl's eyes also began to shed tears, not only from   
light irritation. "I can't...wait! It's gonna be pretty.   
Really pretty! So beautiful. So..." She then completely   
broke into sobs and tears as did the boy.  
_____Though her pale and pretty face was made of synthetics,   
her eyes artificial, Gally could cry tears. And she began   
to cry, wet tears coming down her cheeks. Then breezes blew,   
winds to dry her tears, playing with her straight dark   
hair. She just stood here, holding hands with the tearfully   
happy children.   
_____Then the gray smoke of the morning came. Came over   
from behind, from the eastern horizon, as it did every   
morning in Franklin Township. It came over everything,   
covered everything.   
_____Gally felt the children falling to the paved ground.   
She knelt and still held their hands as they became cold   
with sudden death. She could not see them in the smoke,   
but she still held to them.   
_____When the morning smoke cleared, Gally looked down at   
two little shriveled corpses dressed in coveralls and   
tee shirts. Dried hair still atop their mummified-looking  
heads and bodies still in clothes. But in the morning   
light, even these began to crumble rapidly to dust.   
_____She knelt between the two little corpses, tears in   
her eyes. And she had to let the childrens' hands go, because   
their hands crumbled. This, as the light morning breezes caused   
the dust of the corpses to dissolve, and the clothes along with  
them.   
_____But Gally's tears blinded her from seeing that.   
Kneeling and wheeping, she did not notice that at all.   
Was it just the light of day that the two changed children   
could not survive? If that, why did they willingly stand   
out here? To die? No, they were dead long ago... It took   
the light of day to reveal the truth.   
_____And now, Gally was lost in tears and sadness. Those  
two were just children. She felt it! Their bodies may   
have been altered by Night People, but they were still   
children. So lost in sadness, kneeling in this municipal   
parking lot, that she did not hear one of the scout car's   
doors opening--Vannessa stepping out.   
_____She carefully approached, the sky brightening to light.   
The petite, metal-bodied cyborg-girl was kneeling at the   
back of the scout car--all crying and sobbing. And on the   
paved ground to Gally's left was an audio cassette. What   
the Hell happened out here? And where were those kids?  
_____"Gally? You okay, kiddo?" asked Vannessa. She   
walked around to stand in front of Gally. "Hey, Vicki is   
better with this mushy stuff than I am. Why're you crying?   
And where did those freaky-ass kids go?" She then knelt   
in front of Gally, then picked up the cassette she found  
laying there. Just laying there, a plastic audio-cassette   
the color of a slow blue sky. "Did they leave this for you?"  
_____Sniffing and brushing some lengths of her hair from   
her eyes, Gally looked at Vannessa. "The children truly   
must have done so. They must have left that behind."  
_____"But where'd they go?" asked Vannessa. Then, using some   
of the more sophisticated programming, she analyzed the look   
on Gally's face to interpret some thought. "They're dead,   
huh?"   
_____"They're in the breeze..." said Gally, standing up.  
Vannessa also stood. "Such was a phrase I was told in a   
dream, 'In the breeze.'"   
_____"Let me guess..." said Vannessa, putting the sky-blue  
audio cassette in her left pocket. She crossed her slim pale   
arms and looked in the direction Gally was looking--across   
the municipal parking lot, at one of the buildings. "I'm  
guessing the Little Man told you that."  
_____"Your guess matches the truth," said Gally. She turned  
to the synthetic girl. "Of notice, what he said to me in   
the dream somehow parallels what just happened."   
_____"Uh... Predicting the future? If you say so..."   
said Vannessa. "Come on. The scout car is already parked.   
And now we've gotta go sneak to stand by the entrance of the   
recreation building. It's already morning, and humans who   
don't know about us are gonna see us as SUSPICIOUS. Think   
about it. With me carrying Vicki and you... Well, you're   
a metal-boodied cyborg. And there aren't too many cyborgs  
here in the 21st century... Not yet, at least."   
_____And then they did sneak, as the golden light of morning   
brightened in tone. Vicki, carried on Vannessa's right   
shoulder, was taken over to the entrance of the gray-brick  
recreation building. Gally followed, walking close by. They  
hunkered by the building's entrance on what was becoming   
a beautiful morning.   
  
_____Soon, Mr. Dark drove into the municipal complex and   
drove up to the recreation building in his car. And Dr. Briette   
soon after came by cab. They opened the doors and let everyone   
in. None of the locals noticed.   
  
_____Everyone came into the recreation building--stood in  
the short entrance hall. Vannessa came in, carrying her   
damaged sister. Gally followed closely. Mr. Dark--dressed   
in white shirt, tie and slacks--closed the glass and metal   
doors to the outside. And Dr. Briette--already dressed   
professionally--looked at the three "girls" who had been   
out last night--all night.  
_____Dr. Briette glanced at Gally--still standing. Good. Then   
Then that lab-coated, professionally dressed woman put her   
hands on her hips and looked at Vannessa, Vicki over a   
shoulder. "Okay, FIRST thing we're going to do is get   
Vicki fixed up. No comments."  
_____Of course, the first thing Vannessa wanted to do was  
make comments. "Damn, Vicki doesn't care! She's not even  
functioning right now! Don't you wanna hear about what   
happened?" commented Vannessa, shifting Vicki's "dead"   
weight to the other shoulder and reaching into her own left   
pocket to get the sky-blue cassette she...   
_____"No, Vannessa." Dr. Briette turned and began walking   
away, into the rest of this bulding. "Come with me. We're   
getting Vicki straight to the lab... To the autodoc."   
_____"Oh... Fine! What the Hell!" whined Vannessa. She   
grumpily began to follow Dr. Briette with Vicki over her   
own right shoulder--but used her left arm to pass the   
sky-blue cassette to Mr. Dark. Leaving this foyer, her   
voice echoed, "Let Gally explain!" There was the sound of   
a door opening elsewhere, and then Vannessa was gone.   
_____Gally and Mr. Dark stood here--with Mr. Dark holding   
the cassette. He looked at it--an ordinary audio cassette?   
No, something didn't feel quite right about it. An odd weight  
in his hand, as if the cassette had something else in it.   
Then he looked down at the metal-bodied, dark-haired girl.   
Thinking, this ought to be worth a story.   
_____Just then, the little reception window of this foyer   
slid open. The gray-haired male receptionist spoke up   
from the small office--behind the window. "Hey there,   
Mr. Dark! I see the new girl is still with you. New   
secretary?" The gray-haired then looked at Gally. "Nice   
costume there, girly." Gally smiled a small, polite smile.  
_____Mr. Dark also smiled. Thinking, He's clueless. "Sure!   
She helps me do what needs to be done," he said. He then   
stood by Gally, put his left hand gently on her solid back.   
"Okay, let's head for the white office."  
_____And they did, walking out of the foyer and to the right.   
They passed through the gray lounge--and some of the bulding's   
maintenance personnel was already here, cleaning and vacuuming.   
They nodded in greeting as Mr. Dark and Gally passed through.   
_____They made no comments, thouogh. Given the odd   
workings of Mr. Dark andthose under his command, the workers   
thought nothing of the metal-bodied girl Mr. Dark walked   
with. People who worked here just knew that Mr. Dark and   
his employees were with the government, and they left it   
at that.  
  
_____Then, he and Gally went into the white office. As   
plain as usual: only the computer-equipped desk near the   
wall and a filing cabinet in the corner. Mr. Dark sat at   
the desk, put the sky-blue cassette on the desktop, laid  
his hands atop the desk, then set his eyes on Gally. Just   
stared at her.   
_____Yes, Mr. Dark had questions--plenty of them. He had   
to ask about what happened last night. But he really  
wanted to see to it that Vicki was okay. Damn.   
_____"Hey Gally, are you concerned about Vicki?" He saw   
Gally nod a yes. "So am I. No use talking if we're both   
too worried to do so." He used his thumb to indicate the   
concealed elevator behind his desk. "Let's go check on   
her. The debriefing can wait."   
_____Then he activated the elevator by remote from his   
desk. Part of the wall slid aside, and the elevator   
door opened. He got up from his seat at that desk, then   
he and and Gally both wordlessly walked to the elevator.   
Went in, and rode this elevator down.   
_____Elevator doors opened, and out stepped Mr. Dark and   
Gally into the basement cybernetics lab. Dr. Briette,   
eyes wide, was over at the right side--looking intently at  
a workstation computer monitor. She was very busy and very   
tense because the computer she was using was wired by   
remote to the autodoc machine that was repairing Vicki.   
_____Being the opposite, Vannessa looked relaxed and casual--  
as casual as the clothes she wore--which meant that she was  
ver casual. She sat relaxingly leaned back in a spare   
swivel chair, legs crossed and arms akimbo. Her ponytailed   
head tilted to the side as she looked at the two who just   
stepped out of the elevator. "G-o-o-od morning! What's up,   
dude and dude-ette?"   
_____Forgetting for just a second that Vannessa wasn't a   
real person, Mr. Dark frowned at how relaxed the "girl" was  
in the presence of her "dead" sister. And for that second,  
he wanted to say aloud that Vannessa should show some care.  
_____But no, Vicki wasn't "dead"--no more "dead" than a   
broken machine, which she really was regardless of how human she   
and Vannessa looked. He told himself yet again that the   
"girls" are not human. Not human... NOT HUMAN... Therefore,  
not really people.  
_____Gally approached the autodoc machine--the covered-over  
thick bed-shaped device large enough to hold gynoids and   
cyborgs for bodily repair. The device resembled a sort of  
casket, in effect. And, like a casket, one could place the   
dead within. But, the gynoid placed within could be   
"ressurected"--if one counted automated repair as   
resurrection.   
_____Uncrossing her legs and using the swivel chair like a  
sort of toy scooter, Vannessa crossed the lab. She wheeled   
close to Gally. "Don't look so serious, metal-bodied girl!"  
said Vannessa, her voice full of bubbly cheer. "It's not   
like Vicki hasn't been trashed before. If it makes you feel   
any better, I've been trashed a few times, too. And look!"   
Vannessa flung out her arms. "I'm perfectly fine and normal.   
My sister and I don't have souls, Gally! Vicki and I are  
about as alive as video games and CD players."  
_____"You do not value your own life," began Gally, "then  
your own existence must not feel especially precious. We   
should value what we have, as the future brings--and   
takes--what it may."  
_____Annoyed, Vannessa looked up at the ceiling, then spun   
around once in her swivel chair. "Oh GOD! You're always   
so damned serious! Do I LOOK like the sort of gynoid who   
cares about 'life?'   
_____"Okay... Look, kid," continued Vannessa. "Before I   
was 'assigned' to work with Mr. Dark, you know where I was?   
I was on a shelf on some California robotics lab--shut off   
and in an honest-to-God plastic body bag. Vicki was, too.   
And after this business in this nerdy New Jersey suburb is   
over, guess where Vicki and I are going again? I'll tell   
ya where: Back to the shelf! Like video games and CD's   
nobody wants to play anymore!" She tilted back her head,   
opened her mouth, then let loose a laugh from her throat.   
"Aah, hah, hah, hah, hah....!"   
_____"Stop that, Vannessa," said Dr. Briette from over there  
at the side of the room, typing some commands into the   
computer workstation she was at. "Frankly, you don't know  
what's going to be done with you and Vicki after we're   
done."   
_____Vannessa stopped laughing, but she still had a   
mischevous look in her ceramic eyes. "Oh yeah, doc? What  
about YOU? You're not in the same kinda position and I   
are in 'cause you're human. But you're not from this time   
period. Hell, you don't even exist in legal records...   
After Mr. Dark is done using you, how d'you know he won't   
just blow your brains out with a handgun, then dump your naked,   
dead body into a river to..."   
_____"That is ENOUGH, Vannessa!" shouted Dr. Briette,   
turning from the computer workstation on her own chair.   
"We have an agreement. Everyone will go back to their   
respective homes after we solve this town's problem. And   
that is what we must do." She swallowed a sob, hiding her  
upset. "That is what I will do. WHATEVER the   
consequences."   
_____Mr. Dark shook his head. "This is enough. Vannessa,   
I could easily call Dr. Lawson's people in California, and   
he could transfer a new and likely uppgraded copy of your   
personality emulation programming. You'd be a new you,   
and the old you would be erased. But I won't do that."   
_____"Hah, like I didn't know that before," said Vannessa.  
"Anyway, I was just telling Gally here how not to take   
life so damned seriously all the time."  
_____"Then," began Gally, "will you yet turn against us?   
You turn against us and fail! Because, alone, you would   
fail, Vannesssa."   
_____There was a final whirring sound from the autodoc.  
It slid open. After some seconds, Vicki sat up, then   
climbed out of it. The autodoc made Vicki as good as   
new--physically, at least. Even her clothes looked renewed.  
_____Vicki stood there in a slight daze. She felt her   
abdomen, then her head. Shrugged. She blinked, then spoke.  
"I... I must have been broken pretty badly, huh?" she said  
_____"A cracked energy systems chip and several broken   
mobility processors," said Dr. Briette, speaking businesslike   
again. "You must have taken a serious hit."  
_____"Yeah. Gee, what a hit... But since Vannessa and   
Gally are here, we must've won the fight," said Vicki.   
She looked around this cybernetics lab, analyzed the facial   
expressions of those around. "Hey, what's wrong?"  
_____Gally spoke up. "A temporary discussion somewhat   
went wrong. But it was resolved...sufficiently. Is that  
correct, Vannessa?"   
_____"Sure thing, kiddo!" exclaimed Vannessa, leaning back  
on her seat. She smiled--a bit too broadly. "Yeah, I'm   
gonna go shower. Wash my skin and all. And maybe you  
ought to do the same, Gally. Doesn't look like your body   
rusts."  
  
_____Later, Dr. Briette stood in front of the autodoc machine,   
checked it over once, then closed it. It did extra work in   
repairing Vicki from the point of shut down, and she wanted   
to be sure that it would work as well again if someone else   
were damaged.   
_____She stepped away from it. "Everything is okay with the  
autodoc," she said to Mr. Dark. "I just performed a cursory,  
inspection of it to be fully sure. All physical checks are  
okay."  
_____Mr. Dark stood up from where he had moved to sit in   
this cybernetics lab while Dr. Briette did the maintenance.  
He reached into his left slacks pocket, then took out the  
sky-blue cassette. Everyone else moved to stand with him,  
looking at the cassette. "That'll be great, Dr. Briette.   
Because we don't know WHAT'S going to happen when we play   
this thing, and we may need it if something happenss."   
_____"What the fuck?" began Vannessa. "Mr. Dark, you   
really think we have to be careful when playing a damned   
TAPE?"   
_____Gally, standing to the right of Dr. Briette, spoke up.   
"Vannessa, objects may seem to be harmless. Just SEEM to   
be. Yet such a small object may have unknowable potential  
for harm."  
_____Vannessa shook her head and crossed her arms. "If   
you say so, short stuff! If you say so... Coming from  
you, I guess small things could be something to be scared   
of." Then she caught a glaring stare from Vicki. "Hey sis,   
don't stare at me like that! What'd I say wrong? It's the   
truth, right? Right?"  
______Mr. Dark peered closer at the audio cassette. It   
seemed to be a French language instructional cassette, as  
the words "Viens Voir" were printed on the bottom plastic.   
But the rest of the print on the cassette was distorted.   
Distorted...and backward. And staring at this cassette   
made him feel slightly odd, as if he would somehow fall   
into another place if he stared at it too long...  
_____Something was very odd about this cassette. He said  
aloud, "Gally is right, Vannessa. Didn't this object come   
from the Night People? Well, because it did, we have to   
be pretty careful. In fact, let's play it upstairs, in   
the white office. That way, if something does happen, the  
equipment down here will be untouched and ready to do surgery   
and repairs."  
_____"Okay, okay!" said Vannessa. Dr. Briette looked at   
her. Stared with a look on her face. "Oh, I get it, you  
want me to go get the boom box."  
_____"The portable stereo, yes," said the red-haired   
scientist. "Since you use it to blast that awful music   
of yours, you may as well be the one to bring it."  
_____"Whatever..." mumbled Vannessa. She went to the   
back-right part of the lab, where the portable stereo was.  
That, while everyone went to the elevator. "Jesus! You  
people have no patience! I'm coming!" With the stereo,   
she jogged around the autodoc and by some equipment, then   
over to the elevator. Everyone in, they went up.  
_____The elevator doors opened, and everyone came to the   
white office--plain white walls, the desk immediately   
close. Vannessa put the portable stereo--the "boom box"--   
on the desk, next to the folded-down flat-screen computer.  
"Thank you, Vannessa," said Mr. Dark, moving to that desk   
and putting the sky-blue cassette in the stereo.   
_____Gally, Vicki and Dr. Briette stood nearby. Looking   
on. Then Gally closed her eyes, swayed slightly. Something   
was very odd about that cassette. And she thought she   
heard a far-off finger-snapping sound. Like the   
finger-snapping...  
_____"Gally! Are you okay?" asked Vicki, who had rushed   
to steady that petite cyborg by the shoulders.   
_____"Vicki, give her a chocolate bar," said Dr. Briette.   
"Maybe her brain needs glucose." Vicki reached into her   
left pocket, then took out a chocolate bar in an oddly plain   
wrapper. Gave it to Gally.   
_____Gally took the chocolate bar and held it to herself.  
"Hunger is not the cause. The cassette is, however. Please   
do play it...immediately."  
_____Turning to Mr. Dark, Dr. Briette spoke. "But Gally,  
eat the candy bar anyway--just in case." Addressing   
Mr. Dark, "I really believe Gally should stay in the   
basement lab when you play the cassette."  
_____"Such is cowardice," said Gally, finishing off the  
candy bar. Vicki took the empty wrapper from Gally, put   
it in her left pocket. "No, I will stand to be with the   
rest of you should something happen. Be the result   
rewardingly informative or not."   
_____"That's a good idea, Dr. Briette," said Mr. Dark. "Just  
in case something happens up here, I want you down in the   
lab."  
_____Dr. Briette eyed Mr. Dark. This scientist wanted to  
stay as well. But Mr. Dark was right. So Dr. Briette   
went to where the elevator was. The concealing part of   
the wall slid open, and she used that elevator.   
_____Pointedly, Mr. Dark waited exactly thirty seconds--time  
enough for the elevator to go down and for Dr. Briette to   
be in the lab proper. Then he used the cassette. He   
presseed the "play" button on the stereo.   
_____And then...things were happening. A series of odd, deep   
and swirling sounds came from the speakers. The lights   
flickered, and the air hissed with the sound of much   
static electricity. He felt odd... Dizzy and disoriented.  
Everything was spinning and being stretched slightly. He   
went to a knee, but was able to remain conscious. Nearby,  
Gally felt the same way... She barely kept her balance  
and her consciousness. While the stereo played that   
cassette. It played and swirled this place, making Gally  
and Mr. Dark dizzily dazed... Sounds and place began to  
cross, and reality seemed to go ways it wasn't supposed   
to go. Like the walls were going to slide along the floor   
and the ceiling was so far away...  
_____But the gynoids, Vicki and Vannessa, seemed largely  
unaffected. Vicki moved to check on Mr. Dark and Gally,   
who looked sick. That, while Vannessa moved to the stereo.   
_____She knelt by the desk, then put her ear right up to a   
speaker. Listening to the sounds. Understanding something.   
_____Over by Mr. Dark and Gally, Vicki said, "I think that's  
all it's going to say, Vannessa. Turn it off, so we can tell  
them."   
_____Standing up, Vannessa did. She pressed the "stop" button  
on the cassette player. Then she rewound it. They could   
probably use it again.  
_____"Well now..." said Mr. Dark, wiping his forehead and  
standing up. It was much more quiet in here. "That was   
an experience! What was that?"  
_____Gally answered. "I believe it was a message. In   
whatever form, it was somehow information. What information,   
we have yet to know."  
_____"There were backwards and sub-sonic voices in the   
sounds," said Vicki. "Vannessa and I understood, since   
our hearing is beyond human range. And since we can   
record sounds in memory, we were able to play the voices  
backwards and understand them."  
_____Mr. Dark moved to the door that led to the rest of the   
recreation center. He opened it slightly to look out into   
the hall. Looking for slumped figures out in the hall, or   
curious onlookers. No one else was nearby; hopefully, the   
sound didn't affect anyone else outside of this room.  
_____Then he closed the door. "Well, what did the voices   
say? Anything useful, or just say...things?"  
_____Vannessa sat on the edge of the desk, legs and arms   
crossed. "Oh.... You're gonna fucking LOVE this!" she said.   
"Probably the best damned info we got so far! Pretty   
weird how those two Night People only gave the cassette   
to Gally, though. Damn, why didn't Night People give me or  
Vicki the cassette...?"   
_____"Anyway, the voices told us about...machines," said   
Vicki. "Hidden machines in this town that are the direct   
cause of reality distortion when the sun goes down."   
_____"And that's not even the best part!" shouted Vannessa.  
She patted the stereo. "The voices even FUCKING TOLD US   
WHERE TO FIND'EM!"  
_____"Of interest," added Gally, "last night, I was told   
of machines. Machines that altered the two Night People   
from which we obtained the cassette."  
_____"Great!" exclaimed Mr. Dark, still not asking how   
Gally obtained the cassette. He rubbed his hands   
together, his blue eyes sparkling. That was the happiest   
the big man had looked in months. "So now, it's a simple   
search-and-destroy mission. We'll go over to the police   
station, they can send some of their own to confiscate   
the machines... Or destroy them. Then...!"   
_____Vicki spoke more cautiously. "But it's not that easy,  
Mr. Dark. I think if it was, we'd alread stopped things.   
According to the voices on the cassette tape, we can only   
find the machines at night--when they... How can I put it?   
When they...'fade' back into existence. The voices said   
that the machines can only be found at night, so...."  
_____Looking somewhat disappointed, Gally spoke. "Then, the  
tasks will not be vastly simple. At the least, we make   
progress to possible victory. Now it is up to us...to do   
what is necessary."  
_____Then Mr. Dark went to the desk. He took the sky-blue  
cassette out of the stereo and looked at it. Two addresses  
were now printed on the plastic casing, printed in distorted  
lettering. "Would the locations of the so-called machines   
happen to be at a garage on Hamilton Street and in the   
junkyard?" He looked at Vicki, by Gally, who nodded.   
_____Getting up from where she sat perched on the desk,   
Vannessa spoke. "Damn! You're right! Just like the voices  
said. Hey, why didn't you just read the addresses before,   
Mr. Dark? Making Vicki and me listen to that trippy shit..."   
_____He said to Vannessa, "Because, the addresses weren't   
written on the cassette before I played it." He then took   
the sky-blue cassette to the almost never-used filing   
cabinet in the corner of this office. He opened the top  
metal drawer, dropped the cassette in. Closed the drawer. 


	5. Chapter 5

Timefall: Chapter 5 (by Elliot Bowers)   
Song Lyrics: Unknown  
  
_____It was still morning. A slow morning now, with nothiing  
much to do now but to talk. Talk while municipal personnel   
went about their business in this building. The three girls  
had this public lounge to themselves, to talk.  
_____"I would like to have satisfaction of curiosity," said  
the petite metal-bodied girl--looking calm and with distant   
thought. "As in, I would like to walk this town during   
the day, when things remain normal." She then saddened.   
"However, what one likes and what one must do can be   
different things." She turned and looked out this public   
lounge's window. A view of the municipal complex in the   
morning sunlight. "As this is a time period before the   
development of cyborgs, my presence would bring attention."   
_____Little Gally was standing in here with Vicki and Vannessa,   
both gynoids as tall as older sisters. They were in the   
public lounge area of this recreation building. Standing  
around and talking.   
_____Both Vicki and Vannessa were set to go out for the day,   
and their outfits were essentially as they always were. Vicki   
wore blouse and jeans, her fluffy brown hair in a ponytail.   
Vannessa wore her tight jeans and tight tee shirt, and her hair   
was worn loose. With Gally, her "outfit" for now was her   
metal body.  
_____"But hey, Gally," answered Vannessa, "drawing   
attention is what we WANT to do when you go to O'Connors!   
Look at what I'M wearing! D'you think I give a damn about   
what humans think? B'sides, it's easier to trick human   
males into doing things when my body distracts their   
minds."  
_____A door opened, and someone said, "I HEARD that!"   
It was Mr. Dark, coming out of the white office and into  
this lounge. That big, importantly dressed man strode on   
over here. "Vannessa, the people of this town have put up   
with enough random weirdness, but they like their daytimes   
to be normal. Bringing little cyborg-girls into public  
would just make them upset."   
_____Gally looked up at Mr. Dark, her eyes large. "I am  
upsetting?" she asked, something in her tone of voice.   
She repeated herself. "My body would be conspicuous, but   
as for being disturbing..."  
_____Mr. Dark stared into Gally's large eyes for a moment.   
Then he spoke. "Gally, didn't you say that you didn't want   
to draw attention to yourself? I'm not saying you're a   
monster, and would scare..."   
_____"Yet you did, behind your words," said Gally. "Admittedly,   
by the standards of this time, I would certainly draw negative  
attention to myself--due to how I look. But you connoted   
abnormality in talking of my appearance." Then she put a   
hand to her abdomen--metal hand against metal body.  
_____Mr. Dark held out his hands, a pleading gesture. "Look,  
I'm sorry. I didn't know you were so sensitive about your...  
condition. If you want to go out with Vicki and Vannessa,  
you're going to need something to cover the metal of your   
body. I would suggest you speak with Dr. Briette about a   
disguise or something..." He paused. "All you need is a   
turtleneck sweater and jeans. Gloves for your hands and   
sneakers for your feet, though it's a bit warm for gloves.   
Your face and hair look normal, even cute, so that's no   
problem..."   
_____"As was suggested earlier," said Gally. She then   
moved to one of the lounge's couches. There she sat, her   
back against the cushions. Sitting on the couch like that   
made her seem even more younger than she was. "I tire...   
A lack of sleep." She looked up at Mr. Dark. "We may   
continue this conversation."   
_____"No... YOU may go down to Dr. Briette and go get some  
sleep," said Mr. Dark. "You're going to need it, because   
tonight's mission is the most important so far."   
_____Nodding once in agreement, Gally stood up. Then she  
promptly sat down again--almost flopping onto the couch.  
"Need sleep...more than presumed..." she said, her voice   
sounding far away.   
_____Mr. Dark moved over to Gally. He tried to lift her as   
one would an ordinary child. Though he was a muscular man,  
still quite strong from his past years in the Army, he was   
only barely able to lift the compact weight of this metal-  
bodied girl. "Damn, she's small...but heavy!" he grunted,   
straining. "Harder than picking up a statue!"  
_____"Oh!" said Vicki. She then quickly moved to help.   
Though her arms were slender, her artificial strength was   
more than several times that of human beings. So she was   
able to lift and carry Gally.   
_____With Gally in her arms, the gynoid glared at her   
sister--who was smiling and giggling. "Vannessa! Mr. Dark   
could have strained himself! You're SO mean!"  
_____"Sorry, sis. I just like seeing Mr. Dark get all   
red in the face," said Vannessa. "He looks like a sweat-faced  
human beet!"   
_____Mr. Dark shook his head, swinging his arms to shake out  
some soreness. And indeed, he was red in the face. "Well,   
I'm only human," he said. "Vicki, get her to the lab, then   
you can go out. Vannessa, don't go anywhere without your   
sister...who is MORE RESPONSIBLE than you are."   
_____Looking up at the ceiling, Vannessa looked annoyed.   
"Yes sir..." she said, sarcasm in her voice. She then   
followed as Vicki carried the now-sleeping Gally to the  
white office--the elevator being there.   
  
_____Down the elevator, Vicki carried Gally into the   
cyber-lab. "Doc, open the autodoc!" said Vannessa. "Gally's  
asleep."  
_____Dr. Briette was sitting at one of the computers at   
the right side of the room--her lab coat worn over her   
typical clothes. She tapped keys, and the autodoc machine   
in the middle of the room opened. She then swiveled around   
on her seat to see Vannessa putting an unconscous Gally in   
that autodoc. "What happened?"   
_____Vannessa shook her head. "Nothing serious, I think.  
She just fell asleep, ya know? Up most of all night."   
_____Then the scientist turned back to this computer,   
closing one program and starting another. She did, and   
that autodoc machine behind her made whirring noises as it  
followed remote commands from this computer. Vicki and   
Vannessa stood to the right and left of the scientist.  
_____Just over a minute later, and Dr. Briette spoke.   
"Gally's body systems are generally as functional as before.   
And her brainwaves read out well... How long ago did she   
fall asleep, Vicki?"  
_____"Not more than six minutes ago," said Vicki, shrugging.  
"Why, something wrong?"   
_____"Nothing wrong, just a little odd..." said Dr. Briette.   
"Because, if I'm reading Gally's brainwave patterns right,   
she's already in the dreaming phase of sleep... I believe.   
She must have fallen asleep and begun dreaming immediately."   
And the autodoc machine whirred on, Gally sleeping within   
it...   
  
_____...But Gally saw herself as being somewhere else.   
She was in that dream place again, seated at the formica   
table. The table was the only illuminated and visible feature   
of this place, surrounded by vast darkness. Of course, the  
Little Man--dressed in his red suit--was seated opposite.  
_____"Burning BOLTS from TWIN MACHINES!" he said. He put   
both his hands on the table, then lifted them. Suddenly,   
he had two-inch hexagonal bolts in both his hands--two   
burning bolts. Bright yellow flames flickered around the   
bolts.   
_____Though the bolts were burning in his hands, the Little   
Man did not seem to mind at all. But then, he released   
the burning bolt in his right hand... And a bowl of   
oatmeal appeared to catch that burning bolt. The oatmeal   
then made the bolt vanish in a tiny explosion--as if the   
bolt were a firecracker.   
_____The Little Man then dropped the other burning bolt   
into the oatmeal, and there was a second little POP.   
_____But the second bolt did not completely vanish. A   
little sliver of the bolt went up from the bowl of oatmeal.   
And Gally looked up, seeing the little piece of the metal   
bolt floating in the darkness.   
_____She looked down again when the bowl of oatmeal suddenly   
moved by itself along the formica tabletop, moved from close   
to The Litttle Man to the right side of the table. The bowl  
moved by itself.  
_____The bowl of oatmeal caught the sliver of burning bolt   
when it came back down again. Looking sad, the Little Man   
explained. "One of the...STRANGE MACHINES will go into the   
breeze! But THE OTHER..."  
_____This was becoming odd. Gally had a vague idea of what  
all this meant. This had to mean SOMETHING. What it meant,  
she was not sure. But, she had the idea that something was   
going to happen. Then she fell away from the table.  
  
_____"She's waking up..." said Dr. Briette, tapping in the  
commands to open the autodoc. "Gally was asleep for six   
hours. And you two didn't leave at all. I'm surprised.  
You'd normally be out partying by now."  
_____"Yeah, well..." said Vannessa. "Mr. Dark said I   
couldn't go anywhere without my sissy sister. And SHE   
wanted to be here just in case something was wrong with   
Gally. I WANTED to go over to O'Connor's and hang out 'till  
sunset. Really!"   
_____"Oh, I understand," said Dr. Briette. She swiveled  
around, winked. "I understand perfectly. You SAY you   
care more about going out than caring about cute little   
Gally. You don't REALLY care about Gally. No, you're   
not worried about her at all. No, no, no..."  
_____Vannessa took some seconds to analyze Dr. Briette's   
tone of voice: sarcasm. "Oh, I get it!" That synthetic   
girl then put her hands on her hips. "You think I really  
do care! You think I care enough to pass up a chance to   
party?"  
_____"Yes," said Vicki. "Come on, Vannessa. You can   
admit it. You're just as worried about Gally as I was.  
And you're not weak for caring about someone."  
_____"Shut it, Vicki. I'm not a softie! Being a softie is   
something humans are good at," said Vannessa, glancing at  
the open autodoc. "And we both know that Gally will be fine."  
_____Vicki winked. "If you SAY so, Vannessa! If you say   
so. But there is something behind your words. Something  
different."  
_____"You're starting to talk all mystical, like Gally,"   
said Vannessa, turning to look at the autodoc. "Hey   
Gally! Sleep well?"   
_____She began to get herself out of the autodoc machine,  
and Vicki moved to help. Speaking up, that metal-bodied  
girl said, "I sleapt with a dream... A dream... It had  
unknown significance. I thank you, Vicki." Out of the  
autodoc, Gally hopped to the floor.   
_____Vannessa gave a nonchalant wave of a hand. "To quote  
Stephen King, dreams are just 'mudpies of the mind.' They're   
worthless messes."  
_____Then Vicki spoke up. "But I downloaded that same book  
into my mind, Vannessa. The other part of the saying was   
how dreams could also be very important."  
_____"Hmmph, like dreams mean anything," countered Vannessa.   
"Did YOU ever dream, Vicki? No? Good! You don't dream.   
I don't dream. We BOTH don't dream because we're NOT REAL!   
So that's the end of THAT idea! Mudpies of the mind, Vicki!   
Dreams are mudpies of the human mind!"   
  
_____Later, everyone moved to assemble in the white office  
this time. Normally, Mr. Dark had the team assemble in   
the public lounge at sunset, when the other people of the   
building went home. But since this could very well be the  
last need for a meeting, he decided to have it held in the  
white office--held two hours early.   
_____As there was no other furniture save the desk, the   
seat behind it, and the metal filing cabinet, they held   
this meeting standing up. Vicki and Vannessa stood side   
by side, Gally to their left. Dr. Briette and Mr. Dark   
stood facing them. Everyone was here.  
_____And so Mr. Dark began the meeting. "Well now..." he  
began, clasping his hands together--eyeing the "girls."   
"It comes down to this, I can almost feel it. Nighttime isn't   
for a while. But tonight is very, very critical. A major   
victory, if you succeed.  
______"You pretty much know your mission now," he continued.   
"You were there when that tape from the Night People   
played. If that information is right, then you must go to   
the two locations and find the 'machines.' Then destroy   
them.  
______"When you destroy the machines, there should be a   
change in the way things are. There should no longer be  
any Night People. The night sky should revert to normal.  
All that, IF the machines are the cause of what's   
happening... Now, I'm going to put everyone into separate   
teams."   
______Vannessa interrupted, saying, "Teams? How the Hell   
are ya gonna do that? There's only three of us who can do   
operations at night: Vicki, little Gally here, and--heh,   
heh--me."   
_____"I'm getting to that," said Mr. Dark, his right hand   
up in a "slow down" gesture. "Tonight, I'm going with you   
three, he said." Vicki and Vannessa both opened their   
mouths in agape surprise. Gally simply eyed him. "I'm   
going to drive the armored scout car to drop you off at   
the two locations."   
_____Crossing her arms and smirking, Vannessa spoke. "What  
the fuck? A real human being going outside at night in   
this town? Mr. Dark, aren't you just a little afraid that   
you'll end up...contaminated by the night?"  
_____Vicki added, "Mr. Dark, if you go outside at night, you   
could disappear, like plenty of other humans. I know you   
know that, but still..."  
_____Mr. Dark shook his head. He looked down at Gally.   
"Do you have anything to add...before I prove the gynoids  
wrong?"  
_____Her metal hands clasped in front of herself, the   
dark-haired cyborg looked up at Mr. Dark with her huge dark   
eyes. "At the least, I say that one should go with one's   
own judgement," she said. "That is, provided one's   
judgement emerges from enlightened contemplation."   
_____"Ah... Good point, Gally," answered Mr. Dark. "So,  
Dr. Briette... 'Enlighten' Vannessa about how the local  
nighttime environment alters humans, and tell them about   
how I can stay uncontaminated by the night."   
_____Given the cue to speak, Dr. Briette put her fine hands   
in her slacks pockets and stood up a bit straighter. "Well,   
this is what I know from the data we've gathered over the  
months...combined with information from diagnostics on Gally.  
Simply going out at night is no guaranteed way to end up  
being one of the Night People.   
_____"Vannessa, you and your sister are pretty much immune   
since you two are synthetic. Immune to diseases, of   
course. But Gally, SHE is not. Her brain is still human.   
She has already been out a few times at night, yet she has   
not become one of the Night People. And believe me, if   
she were, we would know--or it would show up when I have   
the autodoc scan her." She shrugged. "So, something  
else makes a human being become a Night Person. Likely,  
a sort of process involving those reality-altering machines  
we just came to know about."  
_____"Is that all?" asked Mr. Dark. "So, there won't be any  
problems anyway, since I'll remain in the scout vehicle.  
Remember, Night People have never been reported to go into  
homes or buildings. Thank goodness, they never went into   
any building...for whatever reason. Anyway, I'm coming with   
you. Now for the teams..."  
_____He pointed to Vicki and Vannessa. "You two... I'm   
going to drop you two off at one of the locations, to   
destroy one of the reality-altering 'machines.' You're   
going to somewhere on Hamilton Street, not far from   
Franklin High School."   
_____He then pointed to Gally. "Gally, I'm going to drop   
you off at the mini-dump--since that's the location you're   
most familiar with... We're going to be a temporary team.   
Vannessa told me you're a bounty hunter in your home-time, so   
this shouldn't be a problem. Though this time, your target   
is a machine." He saw Gally nod once, a look of determination   
on her young face.   
_____"Once I've dropped everyone off," continued Mr. Dark,   
"I'll then drive back to this municipal complex... Then   
I'll go over to the police station, and they should be   
ready to offer some help if absolutely necessary. I've   
already told the mayor about tonight, and he told the   
police to go out tonight. Then we'll see where things go   
from there.   
_____"Now that I've given out the orders, we'll reassemble   
back here at 1700... 5 p.m. in civilian talk," finished   
this big man. He glanced at his watch. "You three have   
something like over an hour. So... Vicki and Vannessa,   
you can go to someplace nearby to hang out."   
_____"Can Gally come?" piped up Vannessa. "I mean, since   
this could be her last day in Fraklin Township before we   
plan to send her back, can't she go to O'Connors with us?  
Just once? I mean, since it's just across the way."   
_____Dr. Briette had an answer for that. "Let's make sure  
Gally is dressed enough first, Vannessa. I had some time to   
look through the clothing supply of the side-room and found  
the right-sized clothes..."   
  
_____Fifteen minutes later, Gally was dressed as so the  
metal of her body was hidden. She had jeans on, and a turtleneck   
shirt with long sleeves and collar. Dark athletic footwear  
for her feet and white gloves for her hands. This way,   
Gally looked like a fully human, pretty and petite teenage   
girl. And they headed for O'Connors--a local restaurant.   
A very local restaurant.  
  
_____O'Connors was, in fact, very close to where the   
recreation center was located. To get there, the three   
just had to cross through a grassy area with just a few   
trees. It looked like a sort of two story farm house,   
though just a bit larger--an old-style gravel parking lot   
out back. Just a few cars were parked here. Vannessa  
led the way to the restaurant's entrance.  
  
_____Inside, the three looked around in here. O'Connors had a   
sort of pub area on the first floor, beyond the foyer.   
Couches at one end of the room, with some tables in the  
middle and a stool-furnished drinking bar at the left.   
Warm cream-colored walls with Irish landscape paintings on   
them. The lighting was sedated and felt more natural,   
incandescent lighting from ceiling fixtures. And there   
was a real solid wooden floor, with carpeting. Of course,   
there was more of the restaurant itself on the second floor.   
Some people--men and women--were here for their off day.   
And waiters and waitresses bustled about. A well-dressed  
blustery sort of bartender was behind the bar over at the   
left side of this room.   
_____Gally instantly felt relaxed here. Such a homely,   
comfortable ambiance pervaded here... A calming and peaceful   
ambiance that was SPIKED when Vannessa shouted, "HELLO,   
EVERYBODY!"  
_____The bartender behind the bar over there spoke up.   
"And a right HELLO to ya too, lass!" He waved for them   
to get over here. Vicki, Vannessa and Gally all sat on   
high stools. "Ah, who might THIS wee lass be?"  
_____Vicki smiled. She first spoke to Gally. "Gally, this   
is Brennan. He's the owner of this restaurant. And he's   
the bartender." Mr. Brennan nodded a greeting to Gally.   
Gally nodded back. "She's a new employee for Mr. Dark.   
One of our co-workers. She's also new to town. I don't  
know if she can..."   
_____"I can take beer and wine," said Gally. "But, often, I   
prefer not to. Sometimes, a mind must be as sharp as one's   
favorite blade."   
_____The big blustery bartender blinked. He then laughed a   
hearty laugh. "Ha, ha! Well said, lass! Well said! I   
got more than brew, though, lass. This is a good, solid   
and full restaurant, too!" More carefully, he said, "But,   
are ya yet a bit wee and young to tipple...? Given the   
laws hereabouts?"   
_____Gally eyed him; she had real intensity in her large   
dark eyes. "My age exceeds that of my appearance. In fact,   
such is true many times over... Many times."   
_____Vicki and Vannessa looked at this interplay between  
Brennan and Gally. Vicki, seated at the left, looked at   
the bartender. Vannessa turned her head right and down   
to look at that bold littlle cyborg-girl. This was very  
amusing.  
______Brennan stared back at Gally, a smile on his face and   
at twinkle in his eyes. "Tha' sounds 'bout right, lass.   
I see somethin' in those big pretty eyes o' yours. And since   
ya work for Mr. Dark, I s'pose it's proper..."  
_____From that moment, they spent some time talking and drinking.   
Gally delicately drank a few servings of surprisingly good tea,   
carefully handling the cup as less-busy waiters poured for   
her. Vicki and Vannessa had plenty to say to Brennan and   
some of the townspeople.   
_____The townspeople talked about how things were going,   
about the condition of the town and about how to maybe solve  
the problems. This was a very comfortable and nice town   
here, in the 21st century.   
_____So engrossed in conversation were Vicki and Vannessa  
with people that Gally was pretty much able to sit there   
with the twin gynoids and have time to think. She took   
glances to other people seated at this drinking bar, more   
townspeople. Generally, they seemed so carefree and happy   
here. It was very different from where Gally came from.   
_____From where Gally came from... The future was so far   
away. Far away from now. Right now, there was calm and   
peace in this town--so many comforts. Professional   
maintainers of law and order--the police--were there to   
keep people safe. And there was a stable public government,   
officially separate from the corporations of this time   
period--a government that protected its citizens. Life   
here seemed so much better... Gally took another sip   
of her tea.   
  
_____The afternoon grew late. They had to leave O'Connors   
soon enough. After money paid from Vicki and Vannessa's   
left pockets, they said their goodbyes to Brennan the   
bartender. Left the restaurant. An hour before sunset,   
the three went through the semi-wooded area--going back to   
the municipal complex. Vicki noticed that people were   
leaving for home now...  
_____So, almost time for Vicki and company to do the night   
work. As soon as they set foot in the paved parkin area   
of the municipal complex, they saw a taxi cab leave the  
recreation building. That must have been Dr. Briette   
being taken to where she was staying. That, and other   
cars were leaving.   
_____Two vehicles remained in the municipal parking lot,   
though. One was a town car--Mr. Dark's car, in the lot   
near the recreation building. The other vehicle was the  
sleek and large-wheeled vehicle familiar to the three:   
the armored scout car.   
_____Vannessa dramatically pointed her right arm and hand   
toward the parking lot in front of the police station,   
where the armored scout car was parked. "ONWARD!" she   
said in a phony, silly voice--then made an exaggerated   
stride toward the vehicle.  
_____Vicki shook her head twice slowly. "Vannessa...   
Being silly," she commented, then quickly followed. Gally also   
followed at an easy pace, making long strides to make up   
for her height. Maybe this whole business was ultimately  
"silly."  
_____Having arrived at the armored vehicle before Gally   
and Vicki, Vannessa was the first to key open the left   
door...and greet Mr. Dark, who was in the driver's seat.   
He nodded a greeting to Vannessa, with the other two girls   
soon arriving.   
_____So seated in the driver's seat, he told Vannessa,   
"Everybody come to the back. We'll review plans before we   
get started. And a few more things." Before Vannessa could   
whine out any protests, Mr. Dark got up from the driver's   
seat, leaned forward to open the rear compartment door, then  
went in there.   
_____Vannessa went deeper into the vehicle. Gally hopped up  
and into the open side-door, then followed. Vicki, the   
last one in, closed the door.  
  
_____In the back, with the surveillance equipment at the   
sides, Mr. Dark knelt by one of the side consoles.   
Everyone else followed suit, kneeling close by. "Okay,   
the basic plan..." he began. "We wait for sunset, when   
we know that the roads will be clear of traffic. Nighttime   
comes, and then we move. Vicki and Vannessa go to the   
target across from Franklin High, and Gally goes to the   
mini-dump area..." He then gave a shudder. "And that's   
it."  
_____Gally eyed the big man with concern. "What passes with  
you, Mr. Dark?" she asked. For such a large person, Mr. Dark   
seemed to look odd... And then she knew why. "Sunset arrives   
soon, making for slight disorientation," she said.   
_____Mr. Dark nodded. The plan said, he got up and went to the   
front of the vehicle. He sat in the driver's seat. "Gally,"   
he said, "Gally, if you know how to operate this vehicle's   
radar, ride up front with me." Gally did. "Vicki and   
Vannessa, stay back there for quick drop off..."   
_____Then Mr. Dark saw what happens at sunset. Looking at   
the view through the front windshield, he saw the municipal   
complex darken quite suddenly. First, there was the   
beginning of sunset. Then night came as if the sky closed  
up. The night lighting came on. "Oh my God..." Mr. Dark   
gritted his teeth. Then drove.  
  
_____He drove this large vehicle out of the municipal   
complex, making a right turn on the nearby road--DeMott Lane.   
This brought him to the intersection for Hamilton Street.   
A left turn, and he was on this wide, two-way street. The   
large vehicle's engine revved as he sped it along.   
_____As Mr. Dark drove, Gally began doing things at her seat.  
"The time comes to remove the disguise," she said. The   
little cyborg took off the white gloves and dark footwear   
she had on. Then came the jeans and turtleneck shirt. The   
clothes off, her armored metal body was again revealed. She   
then folded the clothes.  
_____"I didn't think about that..." said Mr. Dark, still   
driving this large vehicle aggressively. An engine-revving  
moments then passed. "We're already almost there, though."   
_____It was dark as night, but the street lights lit up  
the left and right sides of this wide street. Houses and   
trees at the side. Though he could not fully recognize   
the scenery he drove through as night made things look so  
different, he did memorize the locations.   
_____"Okay, first drop point is coming up!" he shouted.   
"Vicki and Vannessa, get ready!" He gripped the large   
steering wheel, then slowed the vehicle as quickly as he   
could without screeching the tires. "First drop! Go!"   
_____There was the sound of the rear armored door opening   
up. And there were slight sounds of movement from the   
rear as Vicki and Vannessa hopped out. The rear armored  
door closed again. The twin gynoids were out.  
  
_____The armored scout car sped away, and the two gynoids  
were here. Hamilton Street behind them, they were in the   
commercial plaza. Looking around... "No enemies," whispered   
Vannessa. "Let's go to where the tape said a machine was!"  
_____Their legs a blur, the two RAN across this ill-lit   
commercial plaza to the car repair garage--one of several  
daytime businesses. But at night, that business became  
something else...  
_____Because there was something else there that appeared   
at night. Vicki and Vannessa were soon at the car-repair   
garage. And they were soon in trouble when something huge   
and dark leapt down from atop the car-repair garage.  
_____It was something that landed with a THUMP on its large,   
booted feet. Vicki and Vannessa had already leapt out of  
the way and they saw it--a grotesque Night Person, once a  
man. But now the once-human being was different--much   
different. It wore coveralls over his huge and wide   
muscular body, but with jagged tears where there were   
pieces of metal machinery infused into his flesh. It's   
face was woven with car wiring. It spread out its arms   
and GROWLED.   
_____A few quick steps, and Vannessa was behind the thing.  
She slammed her knuckles into the thing's back a few times--  
and she knew her fists sank inches into the Night Person's   
back.   
_____It GROWLED, then suddenly turned to face Vannessa. So   
turned, the wounded beast swung out with two quick, swiping  
blows--one high and one low. Vannessa ducked the first,   
but had to block the second blow with her forearms--making  
her stagger.  
_____Vicki attacked. She attacked the thing's back with a   
kick, and it's right hip made meaty breaking sounds. With   
a HOWL of pain, the beast went to its knees on the pavement  
but still tried to fight on. Swinging like the beast it   
was, more beast than human now. But unable to walk, it   
was hopeless. Victory!  
_____Vannessa hopped back, and Vicki did the same. "Vannessa,   
let's get into that garage! I hear something in there...   
One of the reality-altering night machines!" said one of the   
gynoids.  
_____"Heh, heh... You do that," said Vannesa. "I'm gonna   
put this big dumb fucker out of it's misery." She then   
began stepping closer to the crippled Night Person...   
_____And it stopped growling. It then began to make a low,  
guttural chuckle. Sounding somewhat human again, in fact.   
Then it started to laugh.  
_____"What's so damned funny, fuck-monster?" said Vannessa.  
"While my sister goes into the garage to break your weird  
machine-thing, I'm gonna mess you up worse than you already   
are! I'm gonna smash you so much that's what's left of   
your sorry ass'll have to be picked up with a shovel. Yeah,  
we know what's making things happen, and we're gonna stop   
it! Tonight!"   
_____The once-human beast then moved. Using its arms and   
dragging its wounded lower-body, it moved to the garage.   
With a good shove upward, it opened the garage door. And  
then Vicki and Vannessa saw it.   
_____The inside of the large car-repair garage was lit in   
blood red. Where a repaired car was supposed to be sat a  
huge, blocky machine. It was a dark and ugly machine, and   
so dark it seemed to swallow light.   
_____"Hrr, hrr, hrr..." darkly chuckled the Night Person,  
gesturing toward that ugly machine in the red-lit garage.  
"Hrr, hrr, hrr..." It then collapsed chest-down--still  
chuckling. "Hrr, hrr, hrr..."  
_____"Shut up, please," said Vannessa. She calmly walked   
over to the beast. She quickly stomped its head... SQUNCH!   
An explosion of brains and bits of scalp. Then she reached   
down to the thing's broken hip and tore out something--a   
wrench. This Night Person had tools in its body...   
_____Disguisted, Vicki looked on as Vannessa took the wet   
wrench over to the inside of this red-lit garage. Walking   
toward the big ugly machine. "Vannessa, are you going to do   
it?" asked Vicki.  
_____"Oh, yes I am!" said Vannessa. She raised the wrench   
she held in her right fist. "HELL yes!" Her right arm   
blurred as she brought down the wrench to smash the machine...   
The resulting explosion destroyed the garage and two of the   
attached shops. A massive flame flaring up in the night.   
  
_____In the meanwhile, approximately a mile away, Gally  
crouched by the corrugated metal fencing--the metal   
fencing surrounding the mini-dump. An poorly lit road to   
her right.   
_____She had been dropped off by Mr. Dark not long ago,   
and he was gone by now--going to get those police people   
to help. Not that they could be of immediate assistance,   
but getting them to ride on the streets was part of Mr.   
Dark's plan. Now Gally crouched in the pervasive shadows   
of the night. She wanted to observe, not to be observed.  
_____So far, some groups of Night People had stalked by   
her position. She heard them breathing through their odd  
mouths and noses. And they walked oddly. With what little  
lighting there was, she was still able to tell that   
things were wrong with Night People--not just because   
they often had pieces of metal junk laced with the pale   
and pasty flesh of their bodies. SOMETHING was wrong with   
them inside...   
_____Indeed, and she was here to stop it. Tonight, she   
was determined to stop it. That is, if her victory would  
be enough to make things normal again. And then she would   
go to her home-time, to Scrap Iron City.  
_____Thinking on that, that was when she heard low-sounding   
laughter from behind. Gally moved ever so slowly to turn   
around in her crouching position. The laughter came about  
again, specifically laughter at her! Pivoted fully around,   
Gally saw who--or what--was laughing at her.   
_____They were here. Their backs to a nearby streetlight.   
The Night People laughed at her. One of them pointed. Another   
one hopped around on one foot and began waving its arms.   
Two more of them began slapping each other hard, making   
dark blood come splattering about from their faces.   
_____Laughing. More of them came. They must have heard   
the fun. That, or they sensed a stranger... Sensed Gally.   
Oh, how they LAUGHED!   
_____The metal-bodied little girl was not quite tall, but   
she stood to her full height. Her metal fists clenched,   
and her solid feet was firmly on the roadside ground.   
Slowly, her large dark eyes narrowed, and she began to see  
everything through a haze of rage. And she attacked, her   
mind becoming bright with her own anger...  
  
_____The group of Night People did not know what hit them.  
They did not even seem to realize yet that they were being  
hit! Gally was moving quite quickly, striking and killing.   
She did a somersault to the right, and two severed bodies fell  
to the street. When she leapt over the rest of the group,   
one more Night Person lost its head. Gally landed, then took   
off the arms of a fourth enemy.  
_____Somewhere in the night-darkened consciousness of the   
Night People, they had a vague idea that something was   
going wrong. Of course, Night People lost their souls  
long ago when they became...something else. But their   
brains still had some sort of life, some sort of awareness.   
Still, they laughed.   
_____Even as they were being mutilated and killed, the   
Night People felt like laughing. A head fell to the   
street... Hah! Severed limbs were struck off, hah-hah!   
Hah, hah, one of them was punched through the chest! Hah!   
Ooh, look at that: a wet pile of intestines spilling out   
of somebody's split-open stomach! Funny! All of this   
business was.... Hah, hah, hah! Aah, hah, hah, hah....!   
  
_____When it was over, Gally was breathing heavily. Inhaling  
and exhaling quickly, slowly looking around. Because   
around her feet were the freshly killed remains of Night   
People, barely recognizable remains. Assorted parts of them,   
actually--limbs, organs, torsoes, heads... And the odd   
bits of metal junk in their bodies was now mixed with the  
pile of wet gore and carnage.  
_____Her mind was clearing, though. Gally felt so very   
relaxed now, having done what she did. Moving and striking!   
Feeling her fists and feet sever flesh! It had felt... It   
had felt...delicious! But it was over, for now.  
_____The machine. She had to find the machine. Blinking,  
she looked along the metal fencing. And she saw the opening.   
With a relaxed and daringly slow stride, Gally went to the   
opening. She simply walked in.  
_____Into the mini-dump area, this junkyard area. And it   
looked a lot like certain regions of her home-town--Scrap  
Iron City. Around were neat hills of metal junk. Cars  
further over there. Metal furniture piled behind. Rusted  
steel metal barrels at the left. And in front of her was   
a path through this junkyard, a path that led to a   
well-lit little building. That must be one of the daytime   
offices for this place.  
_____But at night, it was closed--and was a gathering place  
of THEM. A few blocks' distance over there, Gally was able   
to see six of THEM walking around something set to the left  
of that little building in this mini-dump.   
_____And when Gally's eyes were set on it, she felt...odd.  
That large object set to the left of the building was in  
shadows, but it was somehow DARKER than the shadows. It  
seemed to swallow light, and it even seemed to make its  
own darkness--if darkness could be something material,   
somehow. Darkness was the lack of light; Gally told herself   
that darkness was NOT something material... Yet, there   
was something by that little building that generated   
darkness.  
_____She knew what that thing was--one of the two strange   
machines. One of two strange machines that caused this   
town to be the way it was at night. So thinking, little   
Gally began a stride toward that machine set next to the   
building.   
_____Walking, fists clenched, she approached. A Night   
Person hopped down from a nearby mound of junk. Gally   
killed it without even breaking her stride. Two more   
came out from the junk itself--standing in the path. Gally   
merely swung her right hand in a wide arc, killing them   
both. When an especially big Night Person stood in front  
of her, Gally hopped over its head. When she landed, that  
Night Person's decapitated body fell to the ground. A few   
more tried to stop Gally, but they instead were stopped--   
permanently.   
_____And she was soon by the small building, walking toward  
the dark and odd machine set next to it. It looked like a   
kind of large vehicle engine, but looked...wrong. There were   
too many odd and jutting parts. It was working--there was  
a low humming sound coming from it.   
_____Gally stood before it. She then stood sideways, her   
left side facing the machine. Her right fist pulled back,  
she concentrated... Summoning more of the energy that   
powered her body. Her right fist soon became surrounded   
with a blue-white glow--burning plasma. Then she struck   
the machine--and everything quickly flared so bright.  
  
_____From even miles away, the explosion shook the night.   
That was the second explosion tonight. And in nearby   
homes, in nearby neighborhoods, the townspeople wondered  
what was happening out in the night. They were awakened  
by the first explosion, and the second one shook them into  
fright and worry.   
_____Some of them took glances outside. They looked out  
the window, looked at the sky. No, it was still dark with   
evil outside. The stars were still not visible. There  
was still that intangible sense of wrongness in the night  
air--even if greatly reduced. The people felt that SOMETHING   
had changed because of the two explosions, but the night  
was still wrong. Still wrong...  
  
_____Twelve hours later, the odd misty smoke of the morning  
rolled over all the town. It covered everything, blocked  
out sight. And then the morning was revealed. Indeed,   
something had changed in the night, but the night was still   
odd.   
  
_____By early morning, Dr. Briette was already up and ready   
to call the cab to get to the town's recreation center. She   
was here at the hotel, where she stayed every night. She   
had showered, brushed her teeth, and dressed herself in blouse   
and slacks. Lab coat over clothes, and her red hair worn   
loose, she sat in the hotel's ground-floor restaurant.   
_____She had already been served breakfast, and now she sat   
alone at this table and listened to a local American folk   
singer. The singer, a bearded man with shirt and suspendered   
pants, was on the restaurant's little stage--guitar on  
his lap and song from his mouth. Strumming the guitar and   
singing a catchy, though sad, song:   
  
GOT no love! Got no love. Got none today.   
Well, I could not LOVE to save myself   
...from lonesome despiration.  
Everything I THOUGHT was love  
...was worthless imitation!  
And my CONCEPT of commitment was to take   
...all you could give.  
I thought the cheapest thrills   
...were teachin' me to live!  
But nothin' seemed to last  
...or see me through.  
Nothin' but this little song   
...that I now sing for you!  
...  
I got BAN-AN-AS, water-melon   
...peaches by the POUN'   
SWEET corn. Melons, tons   
...mo' better than in any TOWN!  
Got OKRA, got enough to choke ya  
...and beans of every KIND.  
If hunger is what's eatin' you,  
...I'm a-sell ya peace of MIND!  
...  
But this ain't what ya came   
...to hear me SAY.  
Hate to disappoint ya,  
...but I got no love TODAY.  
Got no love! Got no love! Got none today...!  
  
  
  
  
__(NAO) Ask the person at the reference desk if he or she knows if Helen   
came to a decision...  
__(NAO) Morning, use a trash bag to clean up some loose trash from the back   
yard... (Start getting up early to do some grounds maintenance.) 


	6. Chapter 6

Timefall: Chapter 6 (by Elliot Bowers)  
  
_____Franklin Township's firefighting squad was east on   
Hamilton, so it was a straight ride to one of the   
explosion sites. When it was full daylight, after the   
morning mist had rolled over the land and cleared away   
the night, the firefighters geared up and rode a firetruck   
west. Going to one of the scenes of disaster. Yes,   
there were TWO explosions last night.   
_____So they came--the firefighters. Two long and heavy   
firetrucks rode down Hamilton Street with heavy morning   
traffic on both lanes. This two-lane roadway went straight   
through Franklin Township, and it handled traffic from all   
over. Though having to get through traffic, the firefighters   
riding the well-equipped firetrucks were somewhat thankful   
that they did not have to hurry as much as they would have   
during another type of emergency: according to the police   
already on-scene, the explosion had not produced local fires.  
_____Therefore, this was just an inspection and clean-up   
operation. There was rubble, and there was a chance that   
survivors were trapped inside. Or, worse, there were   
bodies... Finding bodies, that was worse--it always was.   
Pulling the dead from the remains of disaster. But some   
people had to do it. Firefighters did it.   
_____And soon, one firetruck arrived at the scene on   
Hamilton. The second firetruck rode further down and took   
a left--going to the mini-dump. This firefighting team here  
would handle this scene.  
  
_____And what a scene. Driving into the commercial plaza   
and hopping off the firetruck, the firefighters saw the   
results of the explosion. Bolton's Car Repair Garage was   
gone. Now there was but a reduced and charred heap of   
bricks, twisted metal, and pipes. Two attached shops were   
damaged, but repairable.   
_____After the heavily-clad firefighters checked over the   
rubble, themselves walking on it for some moments, they   
confirmed that it was safe for the police to walk on. The   
police then brought out trained dogs--the dogs that   
mmediately set to work sniffing out possible victims...   
_____Soon, the dogs smelled something.... They seemed quite  
hesitant. Sniffing around a part of the rubble near the  
front. And then, the firefighters went to work with heavy  
gloves on their hands--also helping to look for victims.   
_____"I found someone!" shouted one of the firefighters.  
He had picked up one more random chunk of concrete, and saw   
a right hand. Luckily, it was a right hand still attached   
to the arm... Poking out from beneath, the rest of the body  
buried.   
_____In a hurry, the rest of the firefighters on-scene and   
the police all set to work tossing aside rubble, pairs of   
gloved hands and bare hands to do the work. Soon, they   
found two females.  
_____They tried everything on the victims right there. They   
tried rescue breathing. And they checked for pulses. The   
firefighters had medical people on their team, and they tried   
everything. But they were just over-reacting: The two victims   
were dead long before the rescuers had arrived on-scene.  
_____Two bodies, fully intact and without external wounds--  
though their clothes had been destroyed in the explosion.   
Both female, about five feet tall, in their late teens or   
early twenties--pale complexions and fluffy brown hair.   
Laid out atop the rubble, the bodies had skin and hair   
dusted with soot and powdered brick.   
_____"Damn," said one of the firefighters. He had a daughter  
back at home, and he knew that the parents of these two   
young women were going to be very upset when they got the   
news. And, this firefighter knew that the other firefighters   
and the police here were just as saddened.   
_____"For God's sake, somebody cover 'em up..." said somebody.  
This firefighter then took off his flame-proof coat, then   
knelt to cover the two bodies with the coat. But he found   
he did not have the strength to stand again. His hurt was   
emotional, not physical.   
_____He knelt there, feeling the sadness detach him from  
everything. Making everything seem distant. In the background,   
he heard the distant chatter of the firetruck's communications   
radio and the walkie-talkies of the police. They were   
calling in the results to the police station, describing  
those found dead.   
_____"Wait a minute..." said a female police officer, her   
dark uniform as dusted as others. She pulled the big   
firefighting coat enough to see the faces of the dead   
bodies. "These two 'girls' belong to Mr. Dark's office."  
_____"What's that supposed to mean? Belong?" asked a male   
officer. "They used to work with Parks & Recreation? Hmm...   
That Mr. Dark is not gonna be too happy to lose two workers..."  
_____"No, you don't get it," continued the female officer.  
"These two BELONG to Mr. Dark. His office OWNS them, like   
we own our cars. Those two are not real people. They just   
LOOK dead."  
_____"What the HELL are you talking about? These two are  
DEAD!" shouted the second officer. "They're dead! No pulse!   
And the firefighters' medics tried everything! They don't   
belong to anybody, but their bodies belong to the parents or  
next-of-kin! Now we have to..."   
_____"DAMN it, Murphy! You don't get it!" shouted the first   
officer. "These two are with Mr. Dark. Don't you know what's   
up with Mr. Dark's team?"  
_____"I don't give a damn!" shouted the second officer, the   
one called Murphy. "Mr. Dark just works in the recreation   
building! Who the HELL is he SUPPOSED to be? I'll tell you   
who. Just another bureaucrat..."  
_____Those officers argued while the firefighter still knelt   
on the rubble. He heard the argument between two of the   
officers, but he did not listen. Through eyesight blurring   
with tears, he looked on the faces of the dead. A miracle   
that the bodies were not externally damaged by the explosion.   
But a very odd miracle. Normally, bodies are dismembered and   
otherwise mutilated by severe blasts.  
_____"Look! I'll show YOU something!" shouted the female   
officer. She lunged to kneel by the bodies. She took a   
sharp piece of metal that lie nearby, then used it make a cut   
across the forehead of one of the dead. "See? NOT BLOOD! If   
these two were HUMAN, even if they were dead, THERE WOULD BE   
TRACES OF BLOOD! They're NOT REAL!"  
_____Everyone paused. The quick-moving female officer had   
cut her hand in cutting the skin of one of the "dead," but   
drops of her blood was all the blood there was. Indeed,   
the body she cut did not have blood--but a clear sort of   
liquid.   
_____Using a syringe from one of the firefighters' medical  
kits, Officer Murphy pierced the skin of the other body.  
And he tried to draw a blood sample. But there was no   
blood. What the HELL...?   
_____"THEY'RE NOT REAL!" shouted the female officer. "Not   
everybody knows about them, thank God, but those two are   
gynoids. And they're not dead! They're just shut down,   
and they can be fixed."  
_____Dumbstruck, the second officer spoke. "Then what do   
we do with them? Send'em to the junkyard?"  
_____"Didn't you hear her?" said the kneeling firefighter.  
"These two are Mr. Dark's property. If he owns them, he   
ought to be able to fix 'em." He stood up. Speaking to   
the female officer he said, "Okay, do you need help loading   
them into a car?"  
_____"I could use the help..." said the female officer.   
Working together, she and that firefighter carried the   
two "dead" gynoids to one of the police cruisers. They  
closed the doors. Then that officer started the engine   
and drove out of the commercial plaza's lot--getting onto  
Hamilton Street and driving east. Going toward the   
municipal complex...   
_____Actually, that female officer was directed to the   
explosion site by way of radioed instructions from the township's  
mayor himself. The officer was on solitary instructions to   
retrieve the gynoids and bring them to Mr. Dark's office. Of   
course, the mayor could have had all the police specifically   
go on-site to retrieve gynoids--but not all the officers  
would believe what they were "rescuing" from the rubble...  
_____But that would have meant telling all of the police force   
about the existence of synthetic people. And the less people   
who knew about humanoid robots, the better. So, the officer   
drove alone, bringing the gynoids to the municipal complex.  
  
_____Mr. Dark himself was at the police station last night,  
sitting by and awaiting the results. When the radio calls  
came in about the explosions, he knew that somethings went   
wrong. He chose to go to the scene of Gally's action--to the  
junkyard. If Gally were destroyed, it would be his fault; he  
dropped her off...  
_____While an officer drove the gynoids to the municipal  
complex, Mr. Dark had rode with police officers to the   
mini dump. Police cruisers parked on the nearby road, parked   
with a firetruck, Mr. Dark and the uniformed officers were in   
the junkyard.  
_____They went to the right, were the management building   
once was. ONCE was, because now there was a big wide hole   
in the ground--an explosion crater the size of a small house.   
And some metal junk had tumbled from nearby junkpiles to  
fall into the crater.  
_____The morning sun at his right, Mr. Dark rolled up the  
sleeves of his white shirt, then loosened his tie as he   
looked down into the crater--junk at the bottom. He   
thought the crater looked like a giant bowl, with   
oatmeal-colored scrap metal at the bottom. Damn, did the Night   
People catch Gally with the explosion?   
_____Some police officers stood by. "Don't get too close  
to the rim of the crater, Mr. Dark. We don't know how   
stable the surface is," said one of the officers. "We need  
to wait for the fire department to finish checking the rest  
of this junkyard for hidden fires."  
_____"I know somethings about explosion craters, too. Part   
of my last profession, you know," said Mr. Dark. "With the   
size of this explosion, we really can't be sure what happened."   
He turned left to face the officer who spoke. "Any damage  
to neighborhood homes?"  
_____"Some people called about the lights flickering a bit  
and their televisions getting interference," said a second  
officer. "But otherwise..." Then the officer grabbed his   
head. He suddenly had a massive headache.   
  
_____NO-O-O DAMAGE... No damage? Heh heh heh! Look around!   
Think around! I AM THE ARM! The damage is IN THE BREEZE!  
  
_____"Who's saying that?" Mr. Dark asked aloud. around. "Did   
you hear that?" The officers looked at him oddly. "Did you   
hear someone say, 'No damage?' Then say that there was damage   
in the breeze?"   
_____Then he heard the voice again, a funny sounding sort   
of voice in his head. It was laughing, the sound of laughing  
in his head. Mr. Dark looked around, and saw the police   
officers rubbing their foreheads, and looking around. "Do   
you hear it too?"  
_____Some of the police officers began looking around at  
the piles of junk, looking for the source of the voice they  
heard. Others began to shake their heads, as if they had been   
dazed by blows to the head. They were hearing the voices,  
too.   
_____Then a gray-colored mist billowed up from the crater.   
It surrounded the officers, surrounded Mr. Dark, and blocked  
out sight of everything. It was like the smoke that came   
at sunrise, but that smoke was already done and gone for  
this morning. Now something else happened. What the...?   
  
_____....The Little Man sat at the formica table, surrounded   
by darkness. Darkness all around and above, with only the   
table visible. The Little Man was dressed in a red business  
suit and red slacks, seated with his hands on the table.   
"NO DAMAGE?" he asked aloud.  
_____He shook his head. "Something is...in THE breeze!"   
he said. "The wind BLOWS! And something rides with the   
sunlight! Something to return to the game!"  
_____A short, steel-colored candle appeared on the table.   
On the side of the candle, there was a name: Gally. The   
ink used to write the name was dark--as dark as the darkness  
all around the table. The candle's wick was charred,  
as if it had been snuffed out.  
_____"Try AGAIN!" shouted the Little Man, staring at the   
candle on the tabletop. There were little flickers and   
sparks. "Try AGAIN!"   
_____The candle lit. And the Little Man laughed... Laughed,   
as the Gally candle was once again lit in the world.  
  
_____...Mr. Dark and the officers looked around. They had  
slight headaches, but they were all fully conscious and   
still on their feet after that. Even after that.   
_____"What the HELL?" exclaimed one of the officers. "Did  
you see that? I was standing RIGHT HERE, and I some sorta   
God-damned midget sitting at a table."   
_____"Yeah, I saw it," said another officer. "Smoke came   
up out of the crater, and I saw it, too... Wait, let's   
go over what we saw. Maybe we just hallucinated."  
_____Mr. Dark spoke up. "I saw everything. It was the   
Little Man, seated at a table. He said some weird things,   
and then a candle lit by itself. The candle had Gally's   
name written on it. It had to mean something."  
_____"Oh, the Gally that was here at the junkyard?" asked   
another officer. "Did she cause this?"   
_____"Wait," interrupted another officer. "I want to know   
more about what the HELL I just saw! What we ALL saw! It   
didn't make any DAMNED sense! How did we all hallucinate   
the same DAMNED thing at the same time? And who the HELL  
is this 'Little Man' I keep hearing about?"  
_____Trying to explain, Mr. Dark said, "The so-called Little   
Man seems to be closely related to the phenomena that happen   
at night. People have sometimes seen him during the day, in   
rare instances. But primarily, he is seen at night by some   
people stranded outside after sundown."   
_____"Yeah, that makes sense...a little bit," said a third   
officer. "But what does he have to do with what happens   
at night? Is he responsible? Because if that's the case..."  
_____"Hah, hah... No, just the opposite," responded Mr. Dark.  
"In fact, I think he's been trying to stop what's happening.   
He ought to be rewarded, in fact... If he's real."   
_____"What do you mean by that?" asked the third officer.  
"'If he's real'? If people have been seeing the Little   
Man all over town, then he CAN'T be some kinda hallucination."  
_____Mr. Dark shrugged. Then he heard a sound. A sound   
of junk being shifted. He turned to the right, looked down   
into the crater. He saw it, saw two metal hands reaching up   
out of the junk at the bottom of the pit. Gally was there!  
_____"What the HELL is that?" exclaimed somebody. And   
the officers were silent as the pair of metal hands moved   
aside enough junk to climb up out. Metal hands attached   
to metal arms, on a metal body. Atop the petite metal   
body was a normal head of a dark-haired girl. A metal-  
bodied girl.   
_____"What the Hell is that?" asked that same officer   
again. "I thought the freaks only came out at night! What's  
going on?"   
_____"Oh, Gally is not a freak," said Mr. Dark. "Where   
she comes from, being metal-bodied is normal." He looked   
on as Gally used two junked metal rods to climb her way out   
of the crater--sticking them in the dirt to climb up. And   
then the petite metal-bodied girl was here.  
_____Standing out and away from the crater, she blinked, her   
large dark eyes taking in the morning view. All around at   
the rim of this crater, men and women in uniforms looked at   
her--they were the police. Big Mr. Dark stood here, with   
his tie loose and professional shirt with arm sleeves   
rolled up. "A surprising morning, Mr. Dark," she said.   
_____"Oh, SHIT! Is that thing FOR REAL?" asked an officer.   
"How the HELL?" The officers stood in awe at the metal-bodied   
girl. Otherwise, it would have looked as if she wore form-fitting  
armor. But the "armor" was her body.   
_____Mr. Dark smiled. He walked close, patted Gally on one   
of her metal shoulders. "Come on, kid. I think Dr. Briette   
will really want to take a look at you. And I'll be glad   
to give you a ride back to the municipal complex with me."  
  
_____As Gally, Mr. Dark, and some dumbstruck officers made  
their way out of the junkyard, there was a slightly gray   
cloud in the sky. High overhead, high over the junkyard.   
It wasn't there before, but there it was... The other   
clouds in the morning sky were white, but this cloud was   
not. And it sparkled a bit. The wind blew, and the gray   
cloud moved with other clouds. Going to the west...   
  
_____Gally carefully sat there on the passenger side of   
this ordinary town car. It looked new and was of moderate   
size--the sort of car that well-paid office workers owned.   
Her metal knees together and metal arms crossed over her   
abdomen, she thought about the situation.  
_____She knew that something went wrong. Something was   
out of place. Something unexpected had come to pass. And   
Gally did not need the facial analysis programming of a   
gynoid to know that Mr. Dark was disappointed.   
_____She glanced at Mr. Dark, his eyes on the road ahead.   
The morning traffic on Hamilton Street had thinned by now,   
but it would still be a few more minutes before getting to   
the municipal complex. Mr. Dark had something else on his   
mind other than driving.  
_____He spoke. "When I say what I have to say, you will   
probably want to kill me. Or kill someone. So do it   
before we reach the municipal complex."  
_____THAT statement shook Gally out of her meditative mood.   
Her large eyes widened, and she stared at that man at the   
wheel. "Huh? How could you say such, Mr. Dark?"   
_____"I'll tell you," said Mr. Dark, sounding older than   
he looked. "Apparently, you and the gynoids managed to do  
SOMETHING. You did something about what was happening to   
this town. Because, for just a moment, the night turned  
normal. The stars were visible for the first time in   
over a year, and there were no more freaks on the street.   
But destroying those odd machines only temporarily stopped the   
trouble.  
_____"So maybe the problems will never go away, and you   
could be stuck in this time period forever. Forever forced  
to help stop the Night People and their weirdness. So go   
ahead, kill me. Kill me, Gally, for getting you into this   
whole damned mess."   
______As the petite cyborg listened to this, her pert mouth   
was parted in shock. Her eyes were open in a wide stare.   
She heard this man surrendering himself because he felt   
that he had failed. Then her eyes narrowed--darkened with   
anger.  
_____She shouted, "DO YOU WANT TO DIE A DOG'S DEATH?" Gally   
saw Mr. Dark grip the steering wheel and saw a flinch on   
his face. So the petite cyborg spoke on.   
_____"You yet live, Mr. Dark! Where there is life, there is  
hope! You have not yet died in struggle against the Night   
People! Though townspeople have been killed, though people   
have fallen before you, YOU still stand against the opposition.   
Do not surrender, Mr. Dark! Do not surrender."  
_____Mr. Dark carefully stopped at a stop light. "Do you  
really think there's still a way, Gally? Or do you really   
think that there is a stop to what's happening to this town.   
Or a stop to what's happening at all?"   
_____Still with full morale, the cyborg-girl answered.   
"But the trouble of this town has NOT spread. If the Night  
People and their strange machines could have gone to other  
towns, they WOULD HAVE DONE SO. Yet, they have not. Therefore,  
they could not. Hope yet remains. Life yet remains."   
_____Mr. Dark suddenly smiled, a happy twinkle back in his  
blue eyes. "Good! That's what I wanted to hear! You're   
still on my side. Then we can go hunt down the last   
reality altering machine and put an end to what' happening."  
_____"Deception!" shouted Gally. "You used DECEPTION!"   
Gally thought that Mr. Dark's talk was an honest outpouring   
of how he felt. He seemed to be baring his deepest thoughts.   
But no, he was not. He played on Gally's sympathy and will!   
_____"Well, it was a sort of deception," said Mr. Dark.   
The stop light turned green, and he started this car   
forward again. Driving and talking smoothly, he explained.  
"But you're a bit of deception yourself, Gally. See, I used   
my office computer to take a look at the diagnostics  
info on you--the information read by the autodoc on your   
brain and body.   
_____"Your brain is immortal, Gally, and I assumed you're   
just as wise--though you look so young and cute. You are   
a lot of wisdom and strength in a cute and little package.   
Being wiser and stronger than you look, I knew you wouldn't   
kill me in anger!"  
_____Gally looked away from Mr. Dark. She looked out the  
side-window. "I lack a variety of options at this time,   
Mr. Dark. My only hope, in fact, is through you--my hope  
of going home. Only you know the people who can return me."   
_____"True enough, Gally! True enough!" said Mr. Dark.   
"Well now, let me be honest. Things aren't so down and   
doomed. We still have a big chance in stopping the trouble,  
because WE KNOW WHAT'S MAKING IT! And..."   
_____HIS-S-S... The car's radio--set in the dashboard--was   
making this HISSING sound. "You didn't touch the radio...  
Did you, Gally?" asked Mr. Dark.   
_____"I did not touch it," she said. "Something else is   
the cause of its activation. Or..." Gally's voice darkened.   
"Or, if not something--someone."  
_____Mr. Dark took a guess. "Is it who I think it is? Why   
would he interfere with the...? Never mind. We'd better   
listen if that Little Man is pirating the radio waves..."   
And as soon as Mr. Dark said that, the radio's hissing sound   
went down.  
_____And on the radio, coming through the slight static,   
there was a distant-sounding voice. A voice that spoke   
oddly.   
_____"A part of a STRA-A-NGE MACHINE...is IN THE breeze!   
Above the...OATMEAL! Look up to the slow blueness to see   
it. Yet it waits for more!"  
_____Mr. Dark exclaimed, "That's the Little Man! I heard   
him back at the junkyard!" And as soon as Mr. Dark said   
that, the radio's hissing sound stopped. The voice was   
gone as well. "How the HELL does he do all of this?"  
_____"'Hell,' indeed," commented Gally. "The Little Man has   
appeared to me in dreams. He passed riddles to me, spoke  
in phrases with meanings behind them. And somehow, I   
think his riddles have come to match what passes." She   
then turned her head to look at Mr. Dark. "A sort of   
cosmic joker."  
_____"Hmmph. If he can appear in dream-places, why can't   
he talk normally, then?" asked Mr. Dark. By now, he and   
Gally were coming close to the municipal complex. The   
road curved to the left, and he gently turned the wheel to   
get through the curve. "We could use all the help we can   
get, but that Little Man--whoever or whatever he is--is not   
helping! Or maybe he can't help us any more than he is."  
_____"That could very well be it," agreed Gally. "The   
latter answer is an answer. But, WHY he helps is a larger   
question... We all have clear motives, between us. But   
HE does not."  
_____On that, Mr. Dark had no answers. Vicki and Vannessa  
were sided with him because they were really robots and   
had to obey their human owners. Dr. Briette and Gally had  
to obey Mr. Dark and work with the white office because,   
otherwise, those two would not be transported back to their   
home-times in the future. Mr. Dark ran the white office  
because he had to obey orders--though he was no longer in   
the Army. But the Little Man...   
_____Who was in charge of the Little Man? Where the HELL   
did that strange dwarf-midget come from? Maybe he came   
from the same place those strange machines came from. Maybe  
the Little Man took orders from some cosmological beings in   
from another dimension beyond the universe. At least, the   
Little Man was helping--in his odd little ways.   
  
_____As Gally and Mr. Dark arrived at the municipal complex,  
that slightly gray cloud in the sky drifted along. It drifted  
above the town, going west. And then the clouod slowed to a   
stop. This, though the clouds around it moved on. The odd   
gray cloud seemed to wait in the sky. Waiting for someone.   
And that person would come. A gray cloud in the sky...  
  
_____That car turned right onto DeMott Lane--the street   
where the municipal complex was located. The car then   
turned right, into that area surrounded by trees. Indeed,   
there are a lot of trees in Franklin Township. Lots of   
trees... Forests of trees...  
_____Trees... The breeze blew through the trees. It made   
the tops of them sway. But there was something odd about   
this breeze. People felt it, and they felt that something   
was not quite right about how it blew...  
_____And the breeze blew through the intersection where   
Hamilton Street met DeMott lane. The stop light swung   
in the breeze. Then it flickered, going from green to red.   
As a result, some cars and a bus almost crashed. But the   
bus did not.  
_____This was a bus for general public transportation, a  
bus that went straight along the long way of Hamilton   
Street--all the way to Princeton. The seats were tall and   
plush, with a surprisingly casually dressed bus driver, a  
man with an insane mane of curly dark hair atop his tan-toned  
and rugged face.  
_____"Hey, bus driver man!" shouted someone from near the   
back. "Stop this God-damned bus! I can't reach the damned  
signal!" The voice was a whiny sort of boy voice, annoying   
and cartoonish.  
_____Since this was a stop light, the bus driver had time  
enough to look into the mirror--the mirror that was set so   
it gave a view back inside. "Who said that?" asked the   
driver. "It's too nice a day to be so darned rude!"  
_____"I said... STOP THE GOD-DAMNED BUS, ASSHOLE!" whined   
the little boy, squeezing his short fat self into the   
aisle as so he could be seen. And what a sight he was!   
"Does the sound of your girlfriend's dildo make you DEAF?"   
_____"What the...?" exclaimed the bus driver. In the mirror,  
he saw the obnoxious boy. The rude, obnoxious boy could   
not have been more than four feet tall. But yet, he was  
almost just as wide. His pants, shirt and coat were more  
suited for winter than the warm weather of now. About the  
clothes... They must have been custom-made, because the   
boy looked so wide! And he was dressed in winter clothing,   
complete with little winter cap.   
_____The bus driver chuckled. "Hey, round boy! You look   
familiar! Aren't you from Colorado? I've heard about you!   
You, with all that crazy talk that swirls around and burns   
attitudes. Burning heads in the breeze!"  
_____The fat boy's chubby face squinted. "What the HELL   
have YOU been smoking? Sure as Hell wasn't TOBACCO! Just   
let me off this God-damned bus, weed-head!" He stomped his   
foot down, and the bus quivered.  
_____"Okay, okay! I'll do what you do want to do, to do it  
and DONE!" ranted the casually dressed bus driver, his   
rugged face wearing a happy look. He opened the bus door  
with a push of a button, and looked on with amusement as   
the obnoxious fat boy squeezed his way through the aisles.  
_____Finally, after many exclamations and offensive remarks,  
the fat boy arrived up front. He began to step down the   
steps to step off of the bus. When he stepped off, the   
weight on the bus' suspension eased up considerably. And  
the bus door closed. Then the bus drove away, with the bus   
driver laughing...  
  
_____The fat boy stood on the left-side sidewalk of DeMott   
Lane. Behind him was a more woodsy part of Hamilton Street--  
with some houses and trees across the street. "Ah, Franklin   
Township..." he mumbled to himself. "Ned said I'd find the   
magic toothbrush here..." Though his friend Ned was smoking   
some heavy shit at the time (smoking something other than   
tobacco at the time), the fat boy had followed his advice--  
and traveled bus routes all the way from Colorado to New   
Jersey... To this suburb in New Jersey: this suburb called   
of Franklin Township.  
_____Now the fat boy, Eric Cartman, was here. High noon.   
He saw a sign that pointed the way to the municipal   
complex--where he would find the courts, the police station,   
the library...  
_____"Hmm... Maybe some of the sissy local hicks and prick   
would know where I could buy a magic toothbrush..." he mumbled.   
But then his big stomach growled. Screw that toothbrush for  
now, he thought. "Damn I'm hungry!" And he smelled food.  
He pivoted left on his out-of-season winter shoes and   
began walking towards O'Connors, not far away at all...  
  
_____After a quick walk through a rustic, gravel parking   
lot, Cartman stepped into O'Connors--steak and ale house.   
He stepped beyond the foyer and into the main room on the  
first floor--some tables to the right with just some people  
people there. At the left was a drinking bar, with big   
Brennan the bartender serving some more of the townspeople  
with drinks.   
_____Then Brennan saw who stepped in: a wide little boy.   
Weird, that little lad was dressed in winter garb. Out of   
season, really... Now the fat lad waddled up close to the   
bar. The little boy looked as if he stepped out of a   
television cartoon and became a real little boy.  
_____"Well now!" said the bartender. "What would ye be  
havin', wee laddy?" Some people seated on nearby bar stools   
turned to look at the fat boy Brennan spoke to. "A nice   
ice cream float? A cup of coffee, caffeine-free? O' course,   
I'd serve ya somethin' stronger, but yer a bit young!"  
_____"Fuck that! I'm hungry!" said Cartman. He reached into his  
right pocket and pulled out a thick roll of green-white money.   
He peeled off a twenty dollar bill and waddled over, reached   
up, to SLAP it on the bar. "Gimme food...!" Then, for   
whatever reason, he had a real taste for something in   
particular. "In fact, gimme some OATMEAL! With cinnamon   
in it!"  
_____For just a second, Brennan had an odd image in his   
head. He had the brief and fleeting image of the Little   
Man that everyone in town knew about. Just a mental glimpse.  
And then Brennan was hesitant to have his waiters and   
waitresses serve this little boy oatmeal.   
_____"Hey!" whined the fat boy, Cartman. "What the fuck is   
WRONG WITH YOU! Gimme my food! Gimme my food! Or I'll   
CLIMB OVER YOUR GOD-DAMNED BAR AND KICK YOU IN THE NUTS!"   
_____Brennan shook his head, shaken by rudeness and back  
into the here and now. "If it's cinnamon oatmeal ye be   
wantin'... Mary! Serve this rather rude lad a few bowls of   
oatmeal, cinnamon!"  
_____"Okay, I'll be right there!" said the waitress named   
Mary. She was just over five feet tall, on the thin side,  
with long blonde hair pinned back--was dressed in the uniform   
black skirt and white blouse of this restaurant. "Welcome to   
O'Connors!" said the cute-faced blonde waitress. She took the   
fat boy by a hand, leading him away from the bar. "Let me show   
you to a seat..."  
_____Cartman was taken to a table near a window. The   
waitress pulled back a chair, and Cartman sat in it.   
"Thank you..." he said. "Now move your skinny ass! Get my   
DAMNED OATMEAL, BITCH!"   
_____"GOSH! Some people" said the blonde waitress, blushing   
with humiliation and putting her hands on her hips. She   
turned and left--going toward the side-door that led to the   
kitchen area.   
_____While the waitress was gone, Cartman put his hands  
atop the table. He began to sing in a surprisingly high-pitched  
voice, singing some kind of teen pop song that was popular   
these days--therefore, a song that would be out of style   
within weeks. But he sang it and looked out the window--not   
noticing the stares at him.  
_____The blonde waitress came back, bearing two bowls of   
oatmeal on a tray, with napkin and spoon. "Here you go!   
Two bowls of cinnamon oatmeal!" She lowered the tray and all,   
put it onto the table before the seated fat boy. Soon as she   
did that, the boy set to eating...   
_____Mary stood there, watching the rude fat boy eat.   
Though she had been peeved about being called a "bitch,"   
she had realized that something was wrong with the fat boy.  
He must have behaved that way for a reason. And he looked   
hungry. Maybe he was a runaway?   
_____She leaned over slightly, bending her knees a bit.   
"Hey, little boy, where's your mommy? Are you lost?"  
_____"Damn it, BITCH!" sputtered Cartman, a spray of   
sodden oatmeal flakes coming from his mouth... Landing on   
the cloth of the table and the cloth of Mary's uniform. "Do   
I look lost? And right about now, my mom's probably screwin'   
herself silly with a DILDO! Now LET ME EAT MY GOD-DAMNED   
OATMEAL!"  
_____The waitress exclaimed something obscene in German.   
She then turned and strode from that table. Her face a deeper  
shade of red and with oatmeal on her uniform blouse. She   
strode away... Cartman went back to eating his oatmeal,   
ignoring the stares of the townspeople.   
_____Cartman was so consumed with eating his oatmeal that   
he was surprised when it happened. In fact, anyone would.  
Something roughly the size of an electric toothbrush flew  
through the glass of the window--somehow went through the  
glass as if the glass was not there. And with a PLOP, it   
landed quite solidly in the second bowl of oatmeal.  
_____"What the HELL IS THIS?" whined Cartman. "Eww...   
Hmm..." he said, reaching with his left hand into the second  
bowl of oatmeal. He pulled out the odd and elongated object  
that fell into it. It was something dark gray and made out  
of metal. He shook the oatmeal off of it, then looked at it.  
_____"That's funny..." he muttered to himself. Something was  
odd about this electric toothbrush-sized object. It sparkled  
just a bit, and it was slightly heavier than it should have   
been for an object of its size. Holding this object gave him  
an odd feeling. Why, this was... This was...  
_____"I found a magic toothbrush, assholes! Aah-heh-heh-heh..."  
he laughed. He stood up from the table, object in his   
left hand. He reached into his right pocket to get a tip   
for the waitress. His money wasn't there. Then he reached  
into his other pocket, thinking about money... "What the   
HELL...?"  
_____Cartman felt all sorts of things now in his left pocket,   
then he pulled out a few hundred dollar bills. He put the  
dollar bills back, then reached in again. Again, he pulled  
more hundred-dollar bills out of his left pocket.   
_____He looked at the object he had now held in his right   
hand. It gave him...UNLIMITED CASH! Cool, an infinite   
bank account in his left pocket! "Heh, this really IS a   
magic toothbrush! Hell YEAH! Cool! Yeah, cool! Aah-  
heh-heh-heh..."   
  
_____Later that day, after that weird fat boy left the   
restaurant, there were PLENTY of people looking at the table   
where he had sat. Because there was plenty of cash on the   
table. A pile of hundred-dollar bills was left there, more   
than enough for several good meals here.   
_____"Aye, somebody's new in town," said the bartender,   
looking way over there at the money on one of the tables.   
Mary stood by Brennan's side behind the bar, listening to   
her boss comment. "Quite a troublemaker of a lad, I   
s'ppose..." And Mary had the idea that Brennan was right.  
As if this town didn't have enough problems. 


	7. Chapter 7

Timefall: Chapter 7 (by Elliot Bowers)  
  
_____Gally and Mr. Dark walked into the recreation center.   
Both of them looked worn out and bedraggled, beaten and   
tired as they passed through this foyer. The collar of   
Mr. Dark's shirt collar was undone, his pants and hair   
dusted with something--missing tie. Gally's metal body   
looked dusted as well, her pretty face was smudged and cut.   
And her straight dark hair full of grit. Both she and the   
bedraggled big man trudged their way toward the white   
office.  
_____They walked... Walked through the public lounge, with   
the building's janitorial staff looking on curiously.   
Those people said nothing to Gally and Mr. Dark, knowing   
that it was none of their business. What those two did   
was best left unquestioned.  
_____When the two came to the white office, Mr. Dark was   
so worn and feeling downtrodden that he let Gally open the   
door. They went in.   
_____And both were surprised to see a uniformed soldier in   
here. A tall soldier in green camouflage, black boots on   
his feet. The pin-on marks on his shoulders indicated that   
he was a corporal. Looking at Mr. Dark, the soldier stood  
straighter and did the Army salute. "Good morning, Master   
Sergeant Dark," he said.   
_____Mr. Dark did a quick return-salute, and the soldier  
put his hands behind his back and stood with feet apart--the  
"at ease" position. "Well, Corporal Boogs," said Mr. Dark,   
glancing at the soldier's nametag. "Why are you here? Does  
a local unit want to move in and give more direct   
assistance?"  
_____Corporal Boogs shook his head. "Sir, I am not authorized   
to make such a statement at this time. I arrived here with   
my squad to deliver raw supplies and the damaged gynoids.   
Dr. Briette recieved the supplies and the gynoids. Also, I   
have been ordered to remain behind and communicate a   
message--for ears only."   
_____Mr. Dark glanced down at Gally, who was not addressed  
by the soldier. Since that soldier said nothing about   
Gally standing here, it was fine for her to hear as well.   
"Okay, tell me the message," said Mr. Dark.  
_____Nodding once, Corporal Boogs began to recite the   
message. "The local unit of the Science Corps has been   
monitoring meteorological and chronological stability   
within Franklin Township. And, it has come to the   
following two points of important data.  
_____"Number one--airborne anomalies have returned to the   
skies above this town. Likely, the anomalies are weather-  
related, but another explanation is very possible.   
_____"Number two--be aware of anomalous daytime activity.   
Though the anomalies have been primarily active at night,   
morning readings indicate the presence of daytime   
disturbances of the sort common in Franklin Tonwship. That   
is all."   
_____Hearing this, Mr. Dark grimaced. "So, we're going  
to see some trouble during the daytime... The freaks are   
going to make their way into the day."  
_____Corporal Boogs looked at Mr. Dark and down at Gally.   
"I am not authorized to answer that question, sir--just   
authorized to deliver the message."   
_____Shaking his head, Mr. Dark spoke. "You're dismissed,   
corporal. I recieved your message. Tell your C.O. thanks  
for the supplies and the help." He saluted.  
_____After a return salute, Corporal Boogs jogged out of   
this office. And he quickly and quietly closed the door   
behindhim. So quickly did the corporal leave, that it \  
seemed as if he were never here...   
_____Mr. Dark looked down at Gally. "Well now, you know  
what this means... A world of trouble, and a change of   
plans."  
_____The petite cyborg spoke, her smudged and cut face   
confident. "I do understand. But, those who need   
understanding live throughout this town. Change of plans   
for them as well."  
_____Nodding a few times, Mr. Dark went over to his desk   
and reached under the top to activate the elevator. The   
sectioon of wall behind the desk opened, revealing that   
elevator. "Gally, go down to get washed and fixed up...  
I need to go elsewhere to wash, to get decontaminate... All   
that sort of stuff. We don't know what's in this dust we've   
got on us..."  
_____Quietly, Gally walked into the elevator. The doors   
closed and she went down. As for Mr. Dark, he went out of   
the building to get a change of clothes. Then, he would   
wash....  
  
_____And came down to the cybernetics lab--which now looked  
a bit more supplied and busy: There were several large   
cases set at the left side of the room, and much of the   
cybernetics equipment atop the side-tables had been turned   
on. A covered cot was set up next to Dr. Briette, who was   
at one of the computer workstations.   
_____That scientist turned, stood up in surprise. "Gally...!   
About the explosions... Are you okay? Any malfunctions with   
your body? Any odd feelings in your head?" She walked   
closer, seeing the cuts in the pale synthetic flesh of   
Gally's face and the grit in her dark hair. "Oh my God!"   
_____Gally shook her head. "No trouble with me passes at  
the moment. I simply request a shower for now to cleanse   
grit from my face and body. And... As for the twin   
gynoids?"   
_____Dr. Briette gave a quick dismissing wave of a hand.   
"They'll be fine. Vannessa is already fully repaired.   
More quickly repaired because the Army brought upgrades and   
supplies for the autodoc. Now she's on the cot.   
_____"But I'm not going to activate her until the autodoc   
is done with Vicki. Without Vicki, Vannessa is more than   
just a little trouble... Anyway, you know where the shower   
is--in the side room. The shower is set on automatic now,   
and there is an infrared-assisted air dryer... The two   
closed drawers are full of clothes and has the gynoids'   
stuff. But don't touch the bottom drawer--Vannessa would   
become so mad if anyone touched her stuff...."  
_____Giving a nod of thanks, Gally moved toward the side   
room and stepped in. It was a well-lit and nice-sized   
bathroom. A closed shower at the far end, with a sink and   
toilet at the left. An air dryer and drawers were at the   
right. Gally heard a humming sound from the drawers,   
and she suspected that they were automated somehow. Indeed,  
the drawers used automatons to wash and dry clothes stored   
in there--no need for separate washers and dryers.   
_____She then moved over to the sink--then stood on tip-toes   
to look in the mirror. In the mirror, her own large dark   
eyes stared back at her--the cuts and smudges, the look of   
exhaustion. A mess.   
_____She turned away from the mirror and went into the  
shower. Closing the shower partition, she saw and heard   
the water came on--a private rain of warm cleansing water.   
Though she could not feel the warmth of the water on her   
metal body, she could feel it on her face. It felt good...   
_____Carefully, she rubbed her metal fingers through her   
hair, washing away the grit. Even more carefully, she   
rubbed the synthetic flesh of her face with the help of the   
water. After that, she let the water wash her alloyed body   
clean.   
_____So there she stood in the shower, the hiss of the water  
coming down. This was time for the little cyborg to think.   
So far, so much had happened. She had been struck by the   
blast of the machine she destroyed, but not damaged. But   
the gynoids, it seems, had to be fully repaired.   
_____Odd, Vicki and Vannessa were both completely artificial,  
but both looked completely human--and were, in some ways,   
just as vulnerable. No, the gynoids were somewhat more   
vulnerable: They could not heal. And they had to be   
repaired more than Gally; Gally herself only needed   
diagnostics as her body's moderate auto-repair systems kept  
her in good condition after battles...   
_____And then Gally came to a moment of "sartori": a moment   
of revelation. She knew why Vicki and Vannessa were not as   
battle-hardy as Gally: The twin gynoids were not designed   
to be fighters. No, the two were designed and programmed   
to be as human as possible.   
_____If Vicki and Vannessa had been designed to be fighters,  
there could be many sorts of modifications done to make   
them stronger: armor plating beneath their skin,   
electromechanics instead of artificial muscle, better   
tactical subroutines...  
____Indeed, the two gynoids were designed to be human--  
even if doing so made them more vulnerable. Designed to   
seem more human, even if they could never be. As Gally   
stood in the shower, thinking on this, she felt sympathy   
for the gynoids--sympathy for machines.   
_____She stepped out of the shower, and it turned off.   
She then used the air dryer set high on the wall, letting   
the heated air dry her, especially her hair. Sympathy for   
machines... Then again, maybe Gally was herself a machine--  
with just a glob of thinking flesh for control? She looked  
down at her own physique of armor.   
_____No...! Closing her eyes to block out the sight of her   
own ody. Gally liked to think herself human, and that was   
how she chose to live. Her brain was human, so she was still   
human. Satisfied, dried and cleansed, the metal-bodied girl  
stepped away the air dryer. Left this side-room and went  
to be with Dr. Briette. The water washed away the dirt and   
grit; help would fix Gally's face more immediately than   
autorepairs would.  
  
_____In another building, also in the municipal complex,   
Police Chief Hagar was at work. He sat in his office--on   
an upper floor of the police station. An office that was   
both well-equipped and decorous--certainly more decorated  
than the white office. A large window on the side let in   
the light of the afternoon--the time of day when the police   
had to slow down and prepare to leave for the night.   
_____Chief Hagar's desk was--oddly enough--made of sycamore   
wood (albeit well-treated wood), and he relaxed his back   
against a large bucket seat. Being a sturdy man, once an   
amateur wrestler, he needed the big seat and big desk. And   
he had to buy clothes of large size to fit his broad-chested,  
muscular physique.  
_____On the wall behind him were training certificates,   
awards, and a big portrait of the current mayor. The other   
walls had pictures of various police events--competitions,   
picnics, and such.   
_____He looked at his big desk, looked at what was on it:   
the portable computer on the right and several manila-colored   
folders at the left. Time to go to work... He got up from   
behind the desk, turned on the florescent lighting to augment   
the light coming through the window, then came back to sit   
again. Time to consider the craziness...   
_____Seated here, letting out an exhausted breath, he opened   
the first manila-colored folder. In it was a main report  
including summaries and highlights about last night.   
Important because it was the first time the police went   
outside since things started happening in this town. Going   
out, the officers on night patrol had some particular things   
they wanted the chief to read and know about.  
_____Hmm... Chief Hagar read the report. Essentially, the   
report in this folder was written by police officers who  
tried to make certain events of last night sound as   
believable as possible.   
_____What kinds of events? Of course, there were the night   
lights, lights in the sky, though local airports insisted   
that NO airplanes flew over Franklin Township anymore due   
to "weather-related anomalies." And there were locals who   
dared to look out their windows, to see misshapen intruders   
stalking about their property. Also, there were call-ins   
about massive interference with radios and televisions,   
especially when the two explosions occurred.   
_____To any other police chief in any other town, this would   
be quite an interesting series of events. To anyone else   
in any other town, in fact, it would be interesting... But   
Chief Hagar read about these events so often that the reports  
read as usual. The usual creeped-out freakiness...   
_____Also in this folder were photographs that ought to be   
in supermarket tabloids--but were too damned weird for that  
sort of thing. Police cars in Franklin Township used   
high-resolution digital cameras--somewhat like the big   
armored scout car parked out front. And those digital   
cameras were put to work...   
_____Two photos from this folder were photographs of streaks   
of light in the night sky. Streaks of light so bright and   
high in the sky that they lit up some of the clouds.   
Another photo was taken of someone walking by a police car--  
someone in white shirt and slacks, someone with metal junk   
making parts of his chest and dirty wires woven into the   
flesh of his face and neck... In fact, the man-like being   
in the picture was dressed exactly like Chief Hagar was at   
the moment... God-DAMNIT!  
_____Chief Hagar dropped the photo atop the rest in the  
open folder. There it was, atop his desk: another photo of   
one of those damned Night People. "Hmmph... Night People,   
ha!" he said aloud. If this were one of those damned horror   
movies from the 1980s or a Playstation game from the 1990s,   
he would have called them "zombies" or something. But   
this was real-life, and the Night People were...something  
else.   
_____Whatever the Night People were, Chief Hagar refused to  
call 'em zombies. Zombies were stupid, slow, shuffling   
things. But the Night People had some brains left and   
could talk. And, according to reports, they laughed.   
Night People laugh. Bullets work against video game   
zombies, but bullets don't work against real-life Night   
People.   
_____Right about now, Chief Hagar wanted to call Mr. Dark's  
office. The phone was right here, on the left side of his  
desk--next to these damned files he's been looking through.   
Mr. Dark's team, they handled the Night People. Yes, two   
robot girls and a creepy little cyborg from God-knows-where.   
_____Damn, as if the idea of semi-classified robot-girls   
wasn't enough... Now Mr. Dark's team included a petite   
Japanese girl with a metal body. Night People, freaky   
lights in the sky, weird television interference... Now   
a real-life cyborg.   
_____Oh, this town was becoming a real freak show! Night   
People, lights in the sky at night, gynoids, time travel,   
a little cyborg girl, and distorted reality! Oh yeah,   
real Stephen King or John Saul sort of stuff. Pretty  
soon, somebody would write a damned book or movie about all   
of this--probably that weird guy who rode his bike to the  
library every Sunday. Almost like a... Final fight.   
_____Chief Hagar rubbed his face and let out a tired breath.   
This was getting to be too much... Right about this time,   
the stressed police chief half-expected little gray aliens   
from television to walk into his office and shove brain-  
probes up his nostrils and into his right ear. And when   
the telephone made it's electronic trilling sound, his hand   
snapped to his holster--to his gun.   
_____Yes, Chief Hagar still carried an officer's gun. The   
telephone rang again. "Hello...? Oh, good afternoon,   
Mr. Mayor."  
_____It was the mayor on the line. The mayor's voice and  
manner was never serious, even in the bleakest and eerie  
of times. Right now, the mayor wanted the telephone   
number to Mr. Dark's office. It seems that he lost it.   
And Mr. Dark's office number was not listed in any   
telephone directory... A contradiction, since Mr. Dark's   
office location was not secret.   
_____Chief Hagar told the mayor the number. "Will that   
be all, Mr. Mayor?" he asked. The mayor said that was the  
only reason he called. And, told Chief Hagar to keep up the   
good work and all that. "Thank you, sir. Have a good   
afternoon..." Then Chief Hagar then hung up. Didn't the   
mayor want to know about last night?  
  
_____Over at the recreation center, in the white office,  
a cleaned up and neatened Mr. Dark picked up the telephone.   
"Oh, good afternoon, sir," he said in a tone of voice quite   
like Police Chief Hagar's. "About the girls? Oh, they were   
a little bit thrashed up by the explosions, but they'll be   
fine by nightfall. Don't worry. In fact, the only one who   
needs fixing up now is Vicki."   
_____The mayor's laugh sounded tinny and electronic through   
the telephone. Then he asked Mr. Dark about how the new   
girl did with the trouble last night.   
_____"Oh, Gally?" voiced Mr. Dark. "She just needed her   
face redone a bit... She's small but tough, really tough.   
Dr. Briette sas that the only things vulnerable about Gally   
are her face, her brain, and the mind in it..."   
_____Trouble? The mayor wanted to know if the new girl   
put up any trouble, especially in getting along with   
Vannessa. If Vannessa was bitchy towards even her own   
equally synthetic sister, then how bitchy was she towards   
Gally.  
_____"You'd be surprised, Mr. Mayor," answered Mr. Dark.   
"For once, I think Vannessa admires something with a real  
human brain. She and Gally are getting along surprisingly   
well. Like I said, you wouldn't believe it. No, strike   
that: Even I don't believe it.   
_____"Of course, we had some trouble with Gally before, but   
she's shaping up. I'd have adjustment problems, too, if I   
was yanked through a warp to end up in THIS town."  
_____On that, the mayor gave a loud laugh. A laugh so loud  
that Mr. Dark had to pull the telephone a bit back from his  
ear. The mayor said that adjustment problems were the least   
of Gally's troubles! On the idea of adjustments, the mayor   
wanted to know if Dr. Briette was still planning on   
developing those special ceramic bullets for the police--  
so the police could go out every night and defend themselves   
against those You-Know-Whats.   
_____"Unfortunately, sir," began Mr. Dark, "Dr. Briette has  
been so busy with diagnostics on Gally that she couldn't do   
that. But we're getting close enough to stopping the   
problems that nobody will need special ceramic bullets,   
anyway..."  
_____Ah well... The mayor granted Mr. Dark that point.   
Well, that was all the mayor wanted to talk about. And   
he asked that if Mr. Dark saw the Little Man around, tell  
him "hi." So, goodbye...  
_____"Goodbye sir," said Mr. Dark. And then he hung up.  
He moved his chair forward, closer to the desk. He was   
going to look at some police reports copied from the   
station earlier when he heard the elevator come up.   
_____He swiveled around on his chair, to look at who now   
stepped out of the elevator. "Oh, hello Gally," he said.   
"What can I do for you?"  
_____Stepping around to the front of the desk, Gally stared  
at this big man. And now, her huge eyes seemed infinitely   
dark and deep, somewhat disorienting. In fact, staring at   
those eyes made the room seem to swirl. Something was   
wrong here.  
_____To try and shake off the sudden disorientation, Mr. Dark  
shook his head. He asked, "What did you come up here for?   
And what's happening? You can tell me!"  
_____Gally shook her head. "I am not quite sure. Yet,   
Dr. Briette allowed me to come up here." She turned away  
from Mr. Dark's desk and looked around at the very plain   
white walls. "But I went up the elevator for a distinct   
reason... Never mind, I should say. I will remember the   
reason another time."   
_____Looking a bit askance at the lost-looking litte   
cyborg, Mr. Dark asked, "Are you feeling all right? Maybe  
shrapnel from the explosion gave you a hit to the head...   
Have Dr. Briette take another look at you."   
_____Considering it a second, Gally nodded once in agreement.  
"I will do so... I thank you." And with that lost look in  
her eyes, she stepped toward the elevator behind the desk.   
The elevator doors opening as she walked toward it.   
_____"Huh? I didn't press the button..." mumbled Mr. Dark as  
he swiveled around to see the open elevator door. He   
expected to see someone but... ARGH! A splitting   
headache CUT INTO HIS THOUGHTS! "What the HELL?" And he   
heard an odd metallic sound...  
_____That had to be the sound of Gally's metal body falling  
to the hard shiny office floor. Headache still cutting   
into his head, blurring his sight, Mr. Dark managed to   
swivel around. "Gally?" he asked through pain-clenched jaw.   
He staggered to his feet to look around. Gally was gone, but   
there was no way she could have left the room without   
having gone through the door or having used the elevator.  
_____Then he felt himself falling to the floor. The headache  
was just so severe. Not only did he feel himself physically  
falling, but he also felt his mind falling into another   
place. Falling... Going down into darkness...  
  
_____...And it was THAT place again--the Third Place.   
There was the round formica table, surrounded by absolute   
darkness above and all around. Gally was seated at the   
left, sitting on a chair and with her gray arms at her  
sides. Seated on the right was that dwarf-midget in red   
lounge suit... The Little Man.  
_____The Liitle Man set his small but strong-looking hands   
atop the formica tabletop. And then he said, "ANOTHER ONE   
comes into town! He comes...through THE breeze!" He   
raised his left hand, then threw something down onto the  
tabletop: a red piece of paper in the shape of a circle.  
_____Looking at the red circle on this formica table, Gally  
thought she understood. The white paper circle symbolized   
whoever the Little Man was talking about. But, what did   
he mean by "another one?" Who was the first...?  
_____Staring at the paper circle, she tried to understand.   
Then, she saw things change... The color of the paper   
circle faded into darker red. Then a round paper head   
appeared atop the circle, followed by little paper pants   
and paper arms. A paper hat followed. The result was   
that there was now a little, winter-dressed paper person   
on the table.   
_____Shaking his head sadly, the Little Man spoke again.   
"Oh, INDEED. ANOTHER one comes to the town. The breeze   
will darken again, because The ANOTHER becomes a DARK LAUGH.   
Beware The Another from THE breeze!"   
_____A dark laugh? As it was, Gally barely understood the   
past few riddles put to her. But this latest set of symbolic   
riddles was more troubling and somewhat more puzzling. Who  
did the little paper figure represent? And what did the  
Little Man mean by "The Another" person being a "dark   
laugh?"  
_____A headache interruped Gally's thoughts. She shook  
her head, then fell to the hard floor in the darkness. And  
she knew she would awaken back in...  
  
_____...Back in reality. She stood up from the floor, back  
in the white office. Mr. Dark was slumped forward on his  
desk, arms folded to cushion his head. Both Gally and he   
had fallen asleep in the middle of the day. Odd...  
_____Or, not so odd considering what else happened these   
days. "Mr. Dark? Are you well?" asked the little cyborg.  
She carefully stepped over to him. "Are you fallen with   
sickness?"   
_____"Argh..." grunted Mr. Dark, sitting up. "Well now,   
what was THAT all about?" A sigh, and his eyes blinked   
against the florescent lighting. He checked the flipped-up  
screen of the portable computer atop his desk. "We didn't  
sleep long. It's still afternoon." He then looked to   
Gally, standing before his desk--like before. "But what the   
HELL was that really about?"  
_____"The Little Man... He gave us an event," said Gally.   
"In doing so, he presented information. And we should   
understand it."  
_____With his headache cleared up, Mr. Dark thought about  
that. "Hmm... The Litte Man pulled that same weird trick  
back at the mini-dump... The junkyard. Let me guess, we  
both went into the same dream, right? Something otherwise  
impossible, but not impossible here. GOD, I can't wait to  
get out of here..."  
_____Gally nodded. "We were in that other place, where   
the Little Man seems to stay when he is not walking the   
streets. You know it--a round table set in darkness. With  
him sitting there and presenting riddles. This time, he  
spoke of 'another' coming to town, someone who is a 'dark   
laugh...'" Then, Gally KNEW what the Little Man meant.  
_____"Hmm..." went Mr. Dark. "The Little Man could mean...   
No, I don't know just yet. But, maybe another..." He saw   
Gally's eyes widen. "Well now! Looks like you figured out   
something. Tell me."   
_____Carefully, she spoke. "The Little Man said that 'The  
Another' comes to town. Meaning, another being with power   
has come to town. The Little Man is an empowered being,   
and so we should expect another empowered being. One who   
has come with a recent breeze. As he is a 'dark laugh,'  
put in local cultural context, dark laugh meaning a   
malevolent being."   
_____Mr. Dark slammed his fist on the desk. "Damn it!   
You're right, Gally! If that's what the Little Man meant,  
then we could be in some real trouble. Some more trouble  
than before.  
_____"Up to this point, the Night People and all the things  
that happen at night were just things that just...happened.   
Almost at random. The altered night was just a sort of   
invisible pollution, a sort of reality pullution caused by  
those two damne machines--which you and the two gynoids   
destroyed last night. But now..."   
_____Gally completed Mr. Dark's spoken line of thinking.   
"Then, the Night People may have gained a leader. Just as   
we seem to have someone on our side, the Night People may   
have gaine a being favoring them."  
_____Thinking about that, Mr. Dark asked Gally, "Did that   
last visit to the Little Man link back to previous clues   
from him?"  
_____For a second, Gally thought on that. Then she knew.   
"Considering a previous dream-visit, I now believe that  
the newcomer to town is likely equipped with something   
dangerous... The Little Man showed me something about the   
machine not totally being destroyed. Somehow, the newcomer  
must have gained a piece--from one of the dark machines.   
I further suspect that such a piece of the machine is enough   
to keep things happening at night."  
_____"That would make a lot of sense," said Mr. Dark. "The   
night was made normal and safe enough for the police to go   
out onto the streets after the explosion, but some things   
are still happening..."   
  
_____It was 2:00 p.m., and the students of Franklin High   
School were coming out for the day. Franklin High was a   
massive and wide structure, three town blocks long and two   
town blocks wide--two stories tall. A vast building of  
tan-red brick and concrete that looked warm in the afternoon  
light. A big school, because this suburb has MONEY to   
spend. Not that the teens had an appreciation of this;   
they just wanted to hang out after school.   
_____Last year, dismissal time was 3:00, but that was when   
daytime lasted longer and sunset was less dangerous.   
Nowadays, everything had to be hurried and cut short during   
the day. Even education...  
_____Which was perfectly cool with the local youth! Three   
such youth--Jimmy, Leela, and Reina--all left the building.   
Went to their motorcycles, which were parked in the parking   
lot on the west side.   
_____They dressed as usual: blue jeans, tee shirts, leather  
jackets, and backpacks--helmets attached to backpacks. In   
general, badass biker gear right out of the 1950's.   
_____Reina sat in the seat of her motorcycle, with Jimmy   
and Leila doing the same on theirs. Since the three had   
parked side by side, they could pretty much sit here and   
talk, even with the din of many teens leaving the school   
and getting into cars.  
_____"Hey," said Reina, "I have a quarter-mile of English   
homework to get through. So if we're going to do ANYTHING,   
we should do it now."  
_____Jimmy shook his head. "I've got some homework to do,   
too. Just some. But you're the one who's always got   
something cool things to do.... No dice, Reina? Aah,   
screw it. What d'you wanna do, Leela?"   
_____A shake of her head indicated that Leela had nothing  
to suggest either. "I don't know! What do YOU want to do?  
I'm clueless. Back to you, Reina..."  
_____"As I said BEFORE," said Reina, her anger not as pretty  
as the rest of her, "I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE ARE TO DO! What   
do YOU want to do?"  
_____Jimmy shrugged. "I dunno. What d'you wanna do? I'm  
flat out bored. And it's only a few hours before night...  
What do YOU wanna do?"   
_____Catching Jimmy's expectant stare, Leela put up her   
hands. "Uh-uh! I TOLD you: I don't know what to do.   
What do YOU want to do?"  
_____And so it went for some minutes... Each one wanting  
to know if the other wanted to do anything. What do YOU   
want to do, Reina? No, what is it that YOU want to do?   
I dunno, what do you want to do? Don't ask me... Ask her.   
Ask him. Don't ask me! What do YOU wanna to do?   
_____A yellow taxi screeched to a halt here, and out   
hopped a very chubby boy. He was about as wide as he was   
high, but the tailored suit he wore fit him well. "What's  
happenin', guys?" he asked, rubbing his mittened hands   
schemingly.  
_____Reina, Jimmy and Leela just LOOKED at the odd little  
boy who stood before them. For an odd reason, Reina wanted   
to start her motorcycle's engine and run that fat little   
business-suited freak over. But that would not be polite;  
running over creepy little fat boys was not proper--regardless   
of how creepy they seemed.  
_____Jimmy answered first. "Who th' HELL are YOU?" he   
asked. "Shouldn't you be home right about now? Playing  
with your little friends?"   
_____The well-dressed fat boy, Cartman, put on a scrunched-  
up expression. He SO wanted to shout four-letter words at   
that guy on the motorcycle, with two chicks at his side...   
Oh, Cartman wanted to call him a pussy-whipped, bed-breaking  
pig-fucking jackass with HERPES!   
_____But no, Cartman wanted to hire that jackass and his   
friends. "Heh-heh-heh..." he chuckled, still trying to   
play nice. "Hello there... Let me introduce myself. I'm  
Eric Cartman!" He pointed at them with both hands. "And   
have I got a KEWL business proposition for you! I want to   
hire you to be my bodyguards. Three thousand dollars a   
day!"  
_____Reina gave a shake of her head to get some lengths of   
her long dark hair away from her face. "And WHY would we   
want to be bodyguards? No... Let me put another question   
before that one. How do you know we would be effective   
bodyguards?"  
_____Moving surprisingly quickly for someone of his bulk,   
especially for someone in a full business suit, Cartman   
stepped forward. "I wanna hire you because you three LOOK   
SO-O-O COOL!"  
_____"Well yeah..." said Jimmy, looking at Reina--to his  
right. "You do look pretty cool, Reina. Got a nice body.  
FIRM and SEXY! Nice tits and cute ass..."   
_____SLAP! Reina's left hand had move so quickly that   
Jimmy didn't even see it coming. He rubbed his jaw,   
forgetting that Reina wasn't that kind of girl. But Reina   
really did look nice, especially in that outfit. VERY nice.   
_____Leela mumbled something about being reminded that Jimmy   
was a guy. And how guys act that way. Men!   
_____Again facing the fat little boy, this time with a   
smile, Reina looked at him. "You know what? You look   
very familar, Eric Cartman--as if you are the real-life   
version of something I once saw on television."  
_____"Oh, I get it...." said Cartman. "You're just trying  
to piss me off to test me! You may think that someone of   
my age is im-mat-ure and un-able to par-ti-ci-pate in   
business transactions." Cartman carefully enunciated those   
words. "But you can TRUST me! I have MONEY!" He then   
reached into the left pocket of his tailored dark slacks--   
pulling out a thin stack of light green money. He   
waddled forward, getting by Leela and her bike to get to   
Reina.   
_____Reina accepted the cash from Cartman... Much cash   
for a teenager: Each bill in the little stack was a   
five-hundred. It was several thousand dollars. Then she  
felt something turn VERY cold in her right pocket.   
_____At the same time, the fat little boy put on a pained   
expression--that scrunched-up look on his face. "God-  
DAMNIT!" he whined. He clutched his right pocket.   
Something he had in that pocket was sizzling hot. "Screw   
it, the deal is OFF! You're jinxing my MAGIC TOOTHBRUSH!   
Keep the cash, you horse-humping bitches! Go screw   
yourselves raw! Just stay the HELL away from me! Damn!"   
He then waddled away to where the yellow taxi waited for   
him--still in this parking lot.   
_____Leela looked around, wondering if anyone else coming  
out of school noticed. Or, if any teachers or school staff  
noticed what just happened. They didn't notice.   
_____Still holding the cash in her left hand, Reina rubbed   
a place on her right thigh--right where her right jeans'   
pocket was. Something she had there really DID become   
very cold--freezingly cold.   
_____"Gee, Reina. What'cha gonna do with the money?" said   
Jimmy. "Not like every day a freaky kid rides up in a cab and   
gives you about ten thousand dollars. Wait a minute... Is   
that stuff REAL or play money?"  
_____"Hmm... Let me see." Ignoring that coldness in her   
pocket, Reina took one of the five-hundred dollar bills from   
the stack she held in her left hand--held it to the sky to look   
through it. "Yes, it's authentic cash." She counted out   
two thousand dollars and gave that to Jimmy. Then she leaned   
right on her motorcycle to give the same amount to Leela--who   
quickly pocketed it. And indeed, some kids nearby DID   
notice.   
_____Not that Reina minded. If anyone tried to move in on  
them, she could literally kick their asses. Yes, she had   
aspirations to mastering both her studies of English and   
martial arts.   
_____As Jimmy fondled his cash, Leela had sense of mind   
enough to ask Reina a question. "Say... Reina, what   
just happened with you and that fat little boy?"   
_____After sliding some cash in her left pocket and some   
in her right boot, Reina sat up on her bike. She stretched   
out her right leg as so she could reach into that pocket.   
She pulled out a small, green-bound Christian Bible. THE  
NEW TESTAMENT was written on it--gold letters. And it was   
covere with some frost.  
_____Leela leaned left to look closer at the small green  
Bible. She saw faint emenations of condensing water vapor  
coming off of it. "That's creepy! Hey... I thought your  
religion was that Japanese religion... Shin-something."  
_____"I do follow Shinto... A bit," corrected Reina. "My  
father would hate me if I didn't. But reading the Bible   
helps my grades: This school's teachers think within   
Christian contexts, and so reading the Bible helps me see   
things their way. It is pre-emptive action for better   
grades.  
_____"But, that is enough talk of myself. The bank   
closes within the hour, and I wish to see the looks on the  
bank tellers' faces when I make such a massive direct   
deposit!"   
_____That said, she put on her red helmet. She started the   
engine of her customized, turbo-charged Kawasaki. A hearty   
thrumm of the motorcycle's engine, and she sped out of the   
school parking lot--skillfully weaving between leaving   
cars.   
_____"Hey, wait up!" Leela put on her own helmet, then   
turned on her motorcycle and sped to catch up with Reina.   
That, and she wondered why that Bible had frozen up--and   
why that creepy little rich boy had something burning in  
his pocket?   
_____Jimmy soon followed on his motorcycle. His thoughts   
were on the cash he had. 


	8. Chapter 8

Timefall: Chapter 8 (by Elliot Bowers)  
  
_____He was lying in bed at the time... "God damn it!" he   
shouted into the darkness. The delux hotel bed was   
extremely comfortable, so that was not the problem. Hell,   
for the cash he paid for this hotel room, it had damned   
BETTER be a sweet-ass bed. In fact, this entire room was   
one of the best hotel rooms in all of Franklin Township.   
So, why the HELL didn't he--Cartman--feel like sleeping?  
_____That thinking on his mind, the short round boy eased  
his bulky self out of bed. He turned on the bedside lamp,   
squinted at the sudden brightness. And he eased his round   
body out of bed. Clad in those custom-tailored silk pajamas,   
with the machine part in his right pocket, he waddled his way   
across the large room. This being an impressively large   
hotel room, it took a little while for him to go the   
distance to the bathroom.  
_____Arriving at the gleamingly luxurious and impressively   
large bathroom, Cartman slammed the door. There, he   
bathed himself in the oversized hot-tub. And he brushed   
his teeth--with the complimentary toothbrush and tootpaste.   
Done washing and brushing, he spit out the toothpaste-and-  
saliva mess right into the water. He threw out the   
toothbrush he used--just because.   
_____That done, Cartman stepped out of the bathroom and got   
his suit from the hotel room's walk-in closet. After putting   
on the undershorts, the slacks and all that, he walked over   
to the full-length mirror on a wall--looking at himself in   
it. God DAMN IT, he forgot to get his suit dry-cleaned!   
_____He tought, No problem, guy... Then he took the machine   
part from his right pocket--what he called a magic tootbrush.   
Called it that, though the device had no place to set a   
toothbrush attachment.   
_____"Okay, magic toothbrush," he said. "I want my damned   
suit feeling dry-cleaned." And he stared at the part,   
thinking of dry-cleaned clothes.  
_____Then things started...to...happen... The bathroom   
lights flickered. A breeze blew through here. And a dark,   
smoky mist swirled around him--a mist made of shadows and   
the darkness of night.   
_____When the things stopped happening, Eric Cartman's suit   
was clean and new. His dark slacks, black jacket, and dark   
silk shirt looked so well-done they looked freshly tailored.   
His hard shoes looked polished. "Kewl!" he said, looking at   
himself in the mirror.   
_____Cartman thought about using the "magic toothbrush" to   
lose some weight... Nah, he LIKED being a how he was. It   
was a critical part of his personality. So dressed and set,   
he left the God-damned hotel room....   
  
_____A trip down the elevator, he came to the wide and   
well-carpeted hotel lobby--ignoring the staring eyes of  
the man behind the reception counter. A right turn, and   
Cartman was at the glass-and-steel polished doors--with   
the night watchman standing there.   
_____"Sorry kid, you can't go out there!" said the tall  
man in blue hotel uniform--standing in front of the exit  
doors. "There's trouble out there at night. Don't you   
know how things are in this town?"  
_____Cartman looked up at the man--stared him in the face.  
"Screw YOU, asshole! Get out of my God-damned way or I'll   
chop off your nuts, put 'em in a pickle jar, then bring 'em   
back to Colorado with me! How are your shit-dumb girlfriends   
gonna like THAT?"  
_____"Why... O-O-OH! You little BASTARD!" growled the big   
man. He reached down with both hands, ready to GRIP the   
shoulders of the fat little boy. The man was not thinking,   
being so blinded by anger....  
_____Then the lights flickered once, and Cartman bared his   
teeth at the night watchman. An animal GROWL came from   
the boy's mouth. Images of flames danced in his eyes. An   
infernal appearance...  
_____THAT made the night watchman back off--backing himself  
right into the doors. The previous anger on the watchman's   
plain face had backfired and had become intense fear.   
_____"That's better..." said Cartman. He reached into his  
own left pocket and took out a hundred-dollar bill. "Here  
you go, guy!" With mittened hands, he then put the hundred   
dollar bill in a pocket of the watchman.  
_____Still dumbstruck with fear, this night watchman   
mindlessly opened the double doors. Letting Cartman out.   
Fear filling his mind, he did not really hear Cartman   
whistling as he walked out and away from here. Walking   
into the night...  
  
_____Out in front of the hotel, standing on the grand   
steps, Cartman looked around. It really was dark out here.   
Even this hotel was surrounded by deep woods--set in its own   
woodsy enclave. This was not unusual because so much of this   
town was still forest, despite continued suburban development.   
Well, not that Cartman knew about that. Anyway, he wouldn't   
give a damn if someone told him about that!  
_____Right about now, he could use a damned taxi! He   
reached into his right trousers pocket, feeling the  
machine piece. And he mentally reached as well, thinking   
about a taxi cab.   
_____A slight nighttime breeze passed through the nearby   
woods, and then there was the slight chugging sound of   
a car coming through the short roadway--coming to this   
enclaved hotel.   
_____"HEY! What took you so damned long? Been jacking   
off to taxi-cab porn?" whined Cartman at the taxi that   
pulled up. And he looked at it. Just looked.  
_____It was dimly lit out here, but Cartman could still   
see that something did not seem right about that taxi...   
The taxi looked shiny and well-maintained, but it had a   
roundish look in places--like a car out of a decade long   
past. It may have just been the lighting, but the paint   
seemed a darker yellow than a cab's normal color. Or did   
the paint cover over something? And the engine's   
chug-chug-chug sound had a slight animal undertone.   
_____Cartman took a slight step back when one of the cab's   
back door opened by itself. Very dim yellow lighting   
came from within. A dark mist swirled out from the seating.  
He didn't feel too comfortable about sitting in there...  
_____"Aw, screw it!" said Cartman, waddling over to the back   
door of the cab. He then waddled inside. The door closed,   
and the vehicle GROWLED as it moved away from of the hotel.   
  
_____He rode the middle of the wide back seat, looked around.  
This was an odd cab... The seating was covered over with   
blood-red immitation leather--clean, but cracking. That,   
and the backseat facing him was covered with the same   
material. The side-doors were bare of covering; stripped to   
metal, with a rusty turn-handle for opening. Attached to   
the ceiling was the dim little dome light.   
_____Something was not right about this cab... But, Cartman   
just shrugged. Wait a minute... When did he tell the   
driver where he wanted to go? Where was he going? "Hey  
driver! You're an asshole! I didn't even tell you where  
I wanted to go!"   
_____The driver laughed a dark little laugh. To try and  
placate that importantly dressed passenger in the back seat,   
he turned on the radio. A 1950s sort of song began to   
play on the radio, but the reception was flawed--waves of   
static occasionally washed out the sound of the music.   
_____Cartman listened to the sound coming from the cab's   
speakers, listened perhaps too closely. Whenever there   
was a period of hissing static, he thought he heard distant  
moaning. And then the 1950's music would play again.  
_____Then he heard a very low, very distant voice....   
Or DID he? He could not be sure if the voice was oon the  
radio or in his head.   
_____"Vicki, Vannessa and Gally... Girls of TRIPLE   
TROUBLE." Trouble for us ALL. "Oh yes, indeed. Get them,   
Cartman." Get those bitches... "Put Gally to death."   
Hell is where she should roam. "Bring Gally..." Death to   
sweet Gally...  
_____Cartman shook his head. He didn't even know who   
Gally, Vicki, and Vannessa were. Though he could now   
see them in his head, would, we don't wan't to disturb the   
local area?... Never mind. Why would a radio talk to him at   
all?   
_____"Driver, what the HELL is wrong with the radio?" To   
that, he heard the driver laugh. "Driver, you shit-for-  
brains jackass! I oughta kick your ass SO HARD that my   
foot will come up through the top of your head!"   
_____The driver laughed again. Cartman shook his head  
and looked out the window. He could see nothing out there.  
These windows must be tinted! "Driver, stop this damned  
thing! Let me out!"  
_____With a laugh, the driver stopped the vehicle. Cartman   
then threw down a fifty-dollar bill with a left hand, making  
it flutter down to the dark-red seating. "Keep the change,   
you God-damned leftover from a coat-hanger abortion!" Then   
he got out of the cab.  
  
_____Out of the cab, Cartman found himself standing on a   
sidewalk at the side of Hamilton Street--still night. Behind   
him were trees. And across the street were some small   
houses, porch lights on. Even with so many nearby lights,  
everything was just so horribly lit.   
_____The taxi drove away, going west. And it vanished in   
the distance. Cartman was left here, standing on the dimly   
lit roadside. Then the morning mist came.   
_____"What the HELL is this?" he bitched aloud. Coming from   
his left, from the east, a gray mist covered everything.   
He stood where he was on the sidewalk, though he could   
not see the sidewalk anymore. Looking down, he couldn't   
even see his own big belly anymore...   
_____Then it was over. The gray mist blew away, cleared  
away from everything--which was becoming golden-lit by   
the morning sunlight. Cartman could see the sidewalk again.   
He could see the trees behind him and the houses across   
the way. It was early morning now.   
_____But for some reason, Cartman felt PISSED. A moment of   
that, then he felt somehow disappointed. "Ah well," he  
said aloud, then set to walking west along the morning-lit  
sidewalk--his dark clothes dark as night. He was walking   
along, whistling a song.  
_____Without him knowing it, hatred had been planted into   
his mind. Hatred for two certain gynoids and even more   
hatred for a cyborg-girl--hatred for beings he did not even   
meet yet. Just walking along... Whistling a song.   
  
_____Later, over at the recreation center... "You look   
fine, Gally," said Vicki. "The clothes worked before, didn't   
they? Nobody said anything about you, nobody! I'll say   
it again. You look fine!"  
_____By then, it was late morning, and the three were in   
the public lounge of the recreation center. Vicki and   
Vannessa sat on one of the couches, and Gally stood in the   
center of the room: The petite cyborg's outfit was being   
perused.   
_____Like once before, her metal body was hidden by jeans  
and long-sleeved shirt, with gloves and dark footwear to   
cover the hands and feet. Cleaned up, with her face   
repaired by the autodoc machine, she could very easily pass   
for being a pretty-faced and very normal person.... Like   
before.   
_____But Vannessa was feeling a bit more obnoxious this   
morning. Leaning back in the couch, that synthetic girl   
was dressed in a new set of clothes to replace what had   
been destroyed in the explosion: a new "Metallica" tee   
shirt, a new pair of tight jeans, and boots. She even   
wore a bra this time.  
_____"Heh, heh... Yeah," she said to Gally, smirking.   
"Nobody's going to care if your clothes are out of season.   
And NOBODY'S going to notice a little Japanese teenager   
cutting school! Especially one wearing long sleeves in   
this kind of weather!"  
______Vicki, sitting next to her equally synthetic sister,   
was dressed in a cotton blouse and jeans. Smiling, she   
said, "Please shut up, Vannessa. Like I said, it worked  
before."  
_____Vannessa looked up at the ceiling. "Whatever...!"  
she said. "Just TRYING to be helpful. Since Gally's going  
to hang out with us more often during the day, her clothes   
have to be good. And she's going to be withh us for a   
while--since we don't even know what or who we're looking   
for now."   
_____"Oh, you're being cynical," said Vicki crossing her   
arms and sitting up on the couch. "The Little Man told   
Gally and Mr. Dark who we're supposed to look for. We're   
looking for someone with a part from one of those dark   
machines."   
_____"Oh yes, that sounds REALLY SIMPLE!" said Vannessa aloud.   
"All that we have to do is hang out in town, looking for  
someone that's holding WHATEVER IT IS we're supposed to be  
looking for. We get it, destroy it, then everything will   
be just dandy! No more night-time tomfoolery!"  
_____Gally interrupted, her calm voice getting attention.   
"Yet, guidance has led us to finding what you could not   
find before--the two strange machines. If the Little Man  
provided excellent assistance before, then he does so again.  
_____"And, I DO know of what sort of person to seek.   
Indeed, a person who posesses immense power is likely to   
behave abnormally. As part of a dark machine provides   
immense and abnormal power, we simply seek out an   
obliviously abnormal person. Seeking out one whose personal   
nature has been altered."   
_____Vannessa stared at Gally, analyzing Gally's words.   
"Sounds freaky! Whatever you say, girlie." She got up  
from the couch, then began walking out of this lounge.  
"I suggest the first place we check is O'Connors, since I'm  
going there anyway to hang out with Brennan."   
_____Raising her slight eyebrows, Gally followed Vannessa out  
of here. "A nearby public place of food and drink is a good   
place to harvest information."   
_____Vicki didn't believe it: Those two just left her!   
"Hey, wait up!" she shouted. "You can't go anywhere   
without me!" She left as well.  
  
_____They again went to O'Connors, leaving the municipal   
complex and crossing through the area with some trees. The   
slow blue sky overhead was only slightly clouded, shining   
down on the day. Of course, it had to be open; doing   
business at night was not possible.  
  
_____Gally, Vicki and Vannessa stepped into O'Connors,   
with Gally entering first. They went into the dining area   
on this floor, looked around. And one of the first thing   
they noticed was a semi-festive ambiance among the   
townspeople here. There were only eight or so townspeople   
sitting at the bar and at the tables, but Irish music was   
playing; and the people smiled as they talked among   
themselves and with Brennan. Brennan, that bartender, was   
behind the drinking bar--as usual.   
_____The three went over to the bar and sat atop the   
drinking stools. Big Brennan smiled broadly. "Well now...!   
What a fine day it be a-turnin' out to be today! Good day   
to ye three..." He stepped over to where they sat. Leaning   
closer, he said, "I thought ye'd be hurt or DEAD, the way   
the police be talkin' hereabouts about ye."   
_____Vicki looked surprised. "The police told you about   
last night? I thought talking about night business scares   
the locals."  
_____"Not today, lass!" said this well-dressed bartender,   
stepping back and spreading his arms. "Today, we be   
celebratin' the return of the police to the night-time   
streets! Since the stra-a-nge explosions the night   
previous, we've been told 'bout how those Night People--  
those odd folk--aren't as bold as they once were. Almost   
none of them left to be bold, in fact!" He looked at each   
of the three girls. "An' I suspect ye three are to thank."  
_____"Bartender!" said a dapperly dressed businessman in   
dark suit, over at the far right. "I'll have another ale!   
Then ANOTHER ONE after that... Then another..." Hiccup!  
_____"Be right back, wee ones," said Brennan, grabbing a  
bottle of ale from beneath the bar and pouring the drink  
for the man over there. Then he returned to here.   
_____Gally looked at Brennan. "Do not give us thanks   
quite yet, bartender. That, for conflict remains. An   
insane person still walks the quiet streets of your town,   
and he has part of a strange machine." Her large-eyed   
stare seemed to darken. "A machine part which still makes  
things happen."  
_____A blur-quick move of her left arm, and Vannessa put a   
fifty-dollar bill on the bar. "Give Gally-girl here some  
tea, and gimme a beer."   
_____"If ye say so, lass!" said Brennan. With quick and   
sweet skill, Brennan prepared a cup of Pekoe-cut tea and   
got a bottle of Guiness Stout. In two minutes, he had a   
pitcher and cup of tea before Gally, the bottle of beer in   
front of Vannessa. "Here ya go... If yer kind can drink   
beer at all." He winked.  
_____"Hey!" said Vannessa. "My sister and I can out-drink   
any human, any day! Hell, I can even out-drink you!"  
_____Putting up his hands in a mock gesture of surrrender,  
Brennan smiled. "I'd not doubt it! Bein' what you are,  
ye'd out-drink a horse. Now, what's this talk o' there   
bein' a troublemaker..." He looked around, then looked back  
at Vannessa. "Because, just t'other day, an odd and chubby   
little lad was hereabouts. Aye, dressed in a fine suit   
o' clothes an' bein' rude to the folks here. A right odd   
lad, he was. Finely clad, but rude and stout. A surefire   
troublemaker if I ever did see one."  
_____Gally took a drink of the tea. This was generic tea,  
but spiced with something good. Perhaps something like   
cinnamon. Not a common or proper tea in her opinion, but   
it tasted well. She put down the cup, then spoke.   
"Someone odd, you say? Do describe him again."  
_____Vannessa her beer atop the bar. "I heard 'em the   
first time! We're looking for a fat little boy who acts   
rude! Since there are only three hundred and eleven rude   
little brats in this God-damned town who fit that   
description, we should find him! Easy!"   
_____"Calm down, Vannessa!" said Vicki, seated aside her  
sister. "Brennan, was there anything else odd about the  
rude little boy? Anything odd other than him wearing   
abnormally formal clothing?"  
_____"Aye, I'd say," said Brennan, looking around. The  
waiters and waitresses were walking around, serving the  
customers at the tables. He pointed to a distant seat near   
a window. "A really rude boy for his age. The laddy sat   
right over there, havin' himself a bowl of cinnamon   
oatmeal.   
_____"He was a-cursin' and a-whinin', he got Mary all upset.   
But then, he left a big heap o' money. Ye would no' believe   
how much! Where he got all o' that money, I don't know,   
lasses. And, I don't want to know."  
_____Gally looked to her right, at Vannessa. She said to   
the gynoid, "Indeed, such a person should have the machine  
part. To freely walk among people and sow disturbance, he  
must have it. He should be easily recognizable as both his   
attitude and manner of dress stand out."  
_____Vicki also looked at Vannessa. Big smile. Said, "So,  
it won't be so hard after all! Told you, Vannessa! We'll  
find the guy with the machine part."  
_____"Yeah, so... But what are we gonna do when we DO find   
this new bastard?" said Vannessa, taking another swig of   
beer. "If he figured out how to use the machine part, then   
he could put up a damned good fight--or make some weakling   
humans into new Night People..." She put the bottle to her  
lips and tilted back her head, her throat working as she   
finished off the rest of the beer.   
_____Gally neatly finished her serving of tea, gloved fingers  
expertly holding the cup. "However strong the threat, he   
MUST be confronted," she said. "And he will be defeated   
at any and all costs. I await the challenge."   
  
_____Later, they left O'Connors after leaving a considerably   
large tip for Brennan. Having a steak and ale sort of   
restaurant within literal walking distance of the municipal  
complex was an extremely convenient thing. That place had   
so many customers that Gally wondered about the   
source of such feeling as she and the gynoids walked back,   
going back to the recreation center. Indeed, in her home-time,   
places of drinking were places of sullen sadness for people--  
cyborgs and humans--who generally tried to wash away their   
troubles with the cheap beers available.  
_____Midway through the semi-wooded area to the municipal  
complex, Gally spoke. "The people over at O'Connors seem   
quite pleased to be there. What is the source of the   
unhappiness?"   
____Vicki opened her mouth to say something, but then she   
was nearly knocked over by a random blast of wind. It was  
a surprisingly strong wind, making nearby trees bend. And   
then Vannessa spoke.  
_____Vannessa said, "Easy answer, Gally! O'Connors is almost   
the only restaurant and drinking place in this whole damned   
town! This is a suburb. The only other place where humans   
can get real food like oatmeal would be the Franklin Diner.   
But Shoprite--the supermarket--is where serious oatmeal can   
be found."   
_____Gally stopped walking, stopping a few meters' distance   
from the nearby pavement of the municipal complex. "Please   
do repeat that last statement, Vannessa. Particularly, the   
statement on 'getting real food.'"  
_____Vannessa turned, put her hands on her hips. "Huh?   
What are you ranting about, Gally? Did that explosion  
knock that human brain of yours? I didn't say anything."  
_____"Yes you did, Vannessa," said Vicki. "I heard you.  
In fact, I've still got the information recorded in my   
memory. Right after that blast of wind, you said   
something about finding oatmeal at the Franklin Diner, or   
getting real food at the supermarket."  
_____"Two to one, huh?" asked Vannessa, smirking. "Heh,   
you two are ganging up on me... Okay, Vicki, say what I  
just said--direct playback."  
_____Vicki moved her mouth, but Vannessa's recorded voice   
came from her throat. "'But Shoprite--the supermarket--is  
where serious oatmeal can be found.'"   
_____Crossing her sleeves-covered arms, the petite cyborg  
looked directly at Vannessa. "Such was as you said, Vannessa.  
Or perhaps, the electronics of your mind held a slight   
malfunction. That is, if your statement had the nature of  
a malfunction."   
_____"What do you mean by that?" asked Vannessa. "You think  
I said something, then just forgot? You trying to freak   
me out?"  
_____"I did not mean that," said Gally. "I meant to describe  
the source of what you said. And, what you said was   
extremely useful. We should go to the recreation center   
immediately to get a vehicle."   
  
_____They did, jogging through the complex. They went into   
the recreation center. And a few minutes later, they   
walked out. Vannessa had keys to the car that Mr. Dark   
used to get around.   
_____And the three walked over to the car--Vanessa using the   
key to get in. Sitting in the driver's seat, she pressed   
the button to unlock the doors. Vicki sat in the passenger   
seat, and Gally sat in the back.   
_____"Damn," said Vannessa, starting the car's engine. "I   
wanted to use the scout vehicle! It's sitting right over   
there, and the police NEVER use it!"  
_____Putting on her seatbelt, Vicki shook her head. "This   
is daytime, Vannessa. We would get too much attention if   
we drove up to the supermarket in a massive military   
vehicle."   
_____"But it would be SO-O-O cool!" countered Vannessa.   
"Ah well, I can't get everything. Damned human tendencies!"   
_____She then maneuvered this car out of this parking   
space, then out of the municipal complex. A right turn   
onto DeMott lane, then a left, and they were on this town's   
main roadway.  
_____Taking a right on Hamilton Street, they were on   
Veronica Avenue, a winding road going through a heavily  
forested area. It was a winding road with some businesses  
and small industrial structures. Still, the greenery of   
the forest dominated. In minutes, driving through light   
traffic, they were at their destination--at Veronica Plaza.   
A Shoprite supermarket dominating the paved area.   
  
_____Vannessa carefully parked this car between two others.   
"We're here. Everybody out," she said. She opened her   
car door and stepped out. Shaking her head at her sister's   
rudeness, Vicki did the same.  
_____Gally stepped out of the car, her sneaker-clad feet   
touching the somewhat cracked pavement of the parking   
lot. She closed the door, looked around. "This is the   
commercial plaza not far from where we battled the Night   
People's battle mech."  
_____"Yeah, so?" asked Vannessa, shrugging her shoulders.  
"Do you see some sort of mystical connection? Because  
Vicki and I have pretty much kicked ass in every area at  
night."  
_____"Just perhaps, Vannessa. Perhaps, there is connection,"   
said Gally. "Now, we should go into the supermarket and   
ask about their oatmeal. We should ask whomever runs the   
store. The local Factory representative, or whomever...."   
_____"We could try talking to the manager," said Vicki.  
"But I don't know how much he would know about oatmeal.   
Businessmen nowadays just know about fooling with money,   
not about products."  
_____"All the same, we should go in and ask," said Gally.  
"There must be a reason why Vannessa's statement mentioned   
such a foodstuff at this location." That said, the three   
left the car and went over to the large, multi-block   
supermarket.  
  
_____They walked in. And Gally was amazed. The ceiling   
was high up, unnecessarily high. Before her, left and   
right, were many aisles of pre-packaged foods and such.   
Bored-looking people just walked along with shopping carts   
full of such goods, carts full of clean and neat foods.   
_____And they went to lines at check-out counters where they   
paid for it. So much neatly packaged food, so many clean   
and available products... Gally would only expect to see   
such a place in the floating City of Zalem!   
_____But this "supermarket" place was not in Zalem. This was   
a town of the 21st century. Therefore, this was a town that   
would not exist in her time...   
_____"Poor, deprived child," said Vannessa, patting the  
dazzled little dark-haired cyborg on the head. "You must have   
never seen as corny a place as this. I'm feeling uncool  
just standing here, with all those broken down-looking   
humans walking around. Are we gonna talk to the manager   
about oatmeal or what?"  
_____"We'll have to go to the courtesy counter first,"   
said Vicki. She then walked away to the right, where there  
was raised counter. There, she gestured for Gally and   
Vanessa to come over.  
_____They did. But Gally was barely tall enough to see  
over this counter. That left the gynoids to do the   
talking to the employee standing behind it.   
_____"Hi there!" said Vannessa. "We're here to ask the   
store manager about this store's oatmeal. What does he   
know about it? And how can oatmeal help us?"   
_____The courtesy counter employee today was a middle-aged   
woman in store shirt, slacks and smock. She gave Vannessa   
an odd look. She then looked down at Gally, seeing a cute   
and big-eyed little girl. "Oatmeal?" finally said the   
employee. "Is this your little sister's school project or   
something?"  
_____The employee thought that Gally was Vannessa's little   
sister! Hah! Smiling, Vannessa said, "Uhh... YEAH! A   
project! My, uh... LITTLE SISTER wants to ask the manager   
if there were any weird little boys in dark suits asking   
about oatmeal. It sounds weird, but my little sister's   
teacher is weird."  
_____"Oh, I'm sorry," said the employee, "But the manager  
spends most of his time in the business office. He wouldn't   
know about any oatmeal-related issues. If anyone has   
complaints about the food, they come to me. But no... I'm   
sorry. No other people said anything about the oatmeal.   
What, would that boy be a classmate of hers?"  
_____Vannessa looked down at Gally, whose face showed no   
particular emotion--just a stare. "Probably true... Right,  
little sis?" A wink.  
_____"Such could be a truth," said Gally. She looked up   
at the woman behind the counter. "And where is the   
oatmeal held within this place? I desire to check the   
area once over."  
_____"Such a well-spoken little lady you are!" said the   
employee. "Well, young Miss, you can find all sorts of   
oatmeal in aisle 6. You turn around, then walked two   
aisles to the right. I hope that helps you with your   
project."   
_____A slight nod of her head, Gally said, "I thank you.  
And, the oatmeal should help..." She then turned and   
walked over to that aisle.   
_____Vicki turned from the counter and followed, with   
Vannessa standing at the counter. "Personally, though,   
she's got the BRAINS in the family. Real HUMAN brains,"  
she said to the employee, winking. That left the employee   
slightly discombobulated. What an odd girl...  
  
_____Vicki and Gally walked closely together, looking to  
the left and right. This was aisle 6, where cereals and   
such were sold. Lots of colorful packaging on the shelves  
here, all sorts of cereals. Nearing the end of the aisle,   
they wondered if this really was where oatmeal was sold.   
_____"Wait a minute..." said Vicki. She turned. Vannessa   
wasn't here. "Oh, GREAT. Where'd she go? I hope she   
isn't harassing anyone..."   
_____"Over here, sis!" said Vannessa, at the end of this   
aisle. She had run around the nearby let aisle to get over   
to the end of this one. "Here it is, oatmeal! In packets,   
in drums, in all sorts of flavors! And look, cinnamon   
flavor! Mmm... Don't forget the PLAIN oatmeal... Don't   
you just want some PLAIN oatmeal, Vicki? Plain oatmeal for  
a plain gynoid-girl?"  
_____"Oh, whatever..." said Vicki. She walked over to   
the end of the aisle, the left side. Gally came by as  
well. "Gally, this is some really gooey stuff. You know   
what? Once, my energy systems were configured to use food.   
And I used to hate eating this stuff. Cereal with milk was   
always better..."  
_____"Oh, PLEASE!" responded Vannessa. "Quit filling Gally's  
little head with lies. You must have LOVED the stuff back   
then! Oatmeal is such a plain, cutesy-girl sorta food. And   
since Dad made you to be as cutesy as they come, you must've   
had BOWLS and BOWLS of oatmeal! You'd probably..."   
_____"QUIT IT, Vannessa," cut in Vicki. "Don't start now.   
We're supposed to be here to find clues. If you want to   
rant about me, you can do that later. But we have to worry   
about other problems."   
_____"...Like oatmeal problems?" countered Vannessa. "Oatmeal   
IS a problem. Damn, how do the humans tolerate the stuff?   
Oatmeal is damned mushy and plain. It's so plain that   
manufacturers have to add sugar and spice to make it nice.   
Ha ha... Kind of like YOU!"  
_____"Oh, you REALLY want me to go talk to Dr. Briette now,   
don't you?" said Vicki, becoming angry. She put her hands  
on her jeans-clad hips. "When we go back, I'll tell her  
about having your personality emulation programming tweaked.  
Maybe, some of my subroutines will be copied and transferred  
to you..."  
_____Vannessa crossed her arms and tilted her head--a big  
smirk on her face. "Oh yeah? Then, I'll tell her about   
how you keep getting your ass kicked every other time we  
encounter trouble. You keep..."   
_____At that point, Gally turned away from the quibbling   
gynoids. There were multiple brands and styles of oatmeal.   
And all of the brands were in such neat and clean packaging,  
still amazing. She saw the price markings, in dollars, and   
saw even the variety in prices, too.   
_____With the twin gynoids arguing onward, Gally picked up a   
cardboard box of Quaker Instant Oatmeal. "You creepy, freaky   
BITCH!" A whining voice. Gally thought someone had   
yelled at her for picking that box, but the voice was   
elsewhere in the store.   
_____"I oughta rig your DILDO COLLECTION so it electrocutes  
you in your GOD-DAMN BED!" whined the voice again from   
elsewhere in the store. "LISTEN TO ME!"  
_____Gally looked to her right. The twin gynoids had   
stopped arguing in mid-gesture. With simple hand signals of  
her own, Gally indicated that she wanted the synthetic girls  
to follow her to the end of the aisle.   
_____"Listen TO ME! I said I wanted some God-damned GOOD   
oatmeal, but YOUR STORE DOESN'T HAVE IT!" shouted that whiny  
voice elsewhere in this supermarket. "I bought every   
single flavor and brand, but NONE OF IT IS THE OATMEAL I'M   
LOOKING FOR!" Following that obnoxious and loud statement,   
there was a lower-sounding and gentler voice...  
_____The three emerged from the aisle and into the open area   
in front of the check-out lines. By now, they were not the   
only spectators: Quite a crowd had gathered to look at the  
surprisingly entertaining encounter between a fat little boy   
the customer courtesy employee. An odd little boy--he was   
dressed in an expensive-looking dark set of clothes.   
  
_____"Last chance, you dildo-drowning PORN-ADDICT!" shouted   
Cartman, that fat boy in dark clothes. "Gimme the right   
kind of oatmeal, or I'll use my MAGIC TOOTHBRUSH!" He then   
reached into his right pocket and pulled out a cylindrical,   
dark-gray device--a machine part. Dark mist swirled around   
it, and the nearby crowd of onlookers became very nervous.   
Just looking at the device in that boy's mittened hand made   
people feel off-balance.  
_____The now-nervous employee behind the counter stepped back,  
as if the odd little boy in suit and mittens had pulled out   
something worse than a 10-gauge shotgun. She rubbed her   
hands on her smock, staring at the dark machine part. "I   
thought you people only came out at night," she said in a   
small voice.   
_____"What the HELL are YOU TALKING ABOUT?" ranted Cartman.  
"I'll walk around this damned town any damned time I DAMN  
WELL PLEASE, God-damn it! God-damn it to HELL! Damn-it,   
damn-it, damn-it! GY--a-aA-A-A-H-H...!" So burning with   
his own anger, Cartman began hopping, his right fist   
clenched around the dark machine part.   
_____Gally saw this as an excellent chance! She knelt,   
then made a mad run at Cartman. Her sneakered feet pattered  
rapid-fire as she moved, her left hand outstretched to snatch  
the machine part. Then Cartman gave a slight twist of his   
right hand...   
_____THUNK! Something happened. A mere meter's distance   
from the target, and Gally had crashed into something invisible  
and almost impossibly solid. She was then on her back, dazzled   
by a purple haze, darkness and confusion. Everything faded, and   
she felt as if she were floating...   
  
_____...What just happened? Gally sat up, and found that   
she was in the back seat of the car. She was conscious and   
back in reality. Vicki was in here as well. "Welcome   
back!" said that gynoid. "You must have taken a real hit   
to the head back there."  
_____Gally put her feet to the car floor, blinking her eyes   
against the late-afternoon sunlight. She spoke carefully,   
feeling a headache grip her head. "Sunlight is going away   
from this land. And, we have not defeated our opponent."   
She put her hands to her head, a small sound of pain coming  
from her mouth. Did she injure her brain?   
_____Vannessa spoke from the driver's seat. "Hey, whatever  
happened back there wasn't too serious, Gally. Vicki did  
an infrared scan of your noggin, said you seem fine....   
But.... Oh yeah! Wait 'til Mr. Dark hears about THIS!   
That freaky boy back there can use that machine part to   
set up force fields...!"  
_____Moving closer, Vicki put the fingers of her left hand  
to Gally's forehead, rubbing the synthetic skin there.   
"If you think your brain is injured, though, we can go back  
to the municipal complex to have Dr. Briette check you out.  
The autodoc will really help, if anything's wrong."   
_____Jerking her head away, Gally said something to Vicki.  
"My brain does well for the moment. We should continue, as  
the enemy yet roams this town. We were so VERY close to   
having victory."   
_____"But winning won't be worth much if you're brain-damaged,   
Gally!" said Vicki. "We just have to be a little careful,   
that's all. We've already destroyed both of those dark   
machines, and there's just ONE LITTLE PART left. Because  
of that, most all of the Night People are gone--just ask   
Mr. Dark! Anyway, how much trouble can one little boy   
cause?"  
_____Gally looked at Vicki. "Yet, a thing to notice was   
how that 'little boy' holds an immensely dangerous object.   
Also of note was how he dressed. He dressed in the very   
same style as the Little Man, though in dark clothes."   
_____Vannessa rolled her eyes. This was getting goofy!   
Then she looked through the car windshield, out at the   
supermarket parking lot. Gripping her hands to the steering   
wheel, she spoke excitedly. "Holy SHIT! What's that little   
bastard doing to those humans?" 


	9. Chapter 9

Timefallen: Chapter 9 (by Elliot Bowers)  
  
_____Sitting safely in this car, the three watched as   
Cartman did something to three shoppers. Three shoppers   
who stood hypnotized and enthralled. A gangly teenage boy   
wearing jeans and tee shirt, an old man in sweater and   
slacks, and a portly middle-aged woman in frumpy clothes.   
_____Those shoppers were under the control of that fat   
little boy who stood before them--the fat little boy  
well-dressed in dark slacks and dark jacket worn over   
dark silk shirt. He kept waving the machine part as if   
it were a sinister magic wand. And he was saying   
something... Saying something very wrong.  
_____What was he saying? It was unclear. The three in   
this car were only able to hear him from a distance   
because of their enhanced hearing. But Gally did not   
understand what the dark-dressed boy was saying. The   
syllables and sounds from his mouth were jumbled, and   
the sounds were not wholly from English, French, or even   
Gaelic. But the syllables sounded familiar.  
_____"Oh, SHIT!" said Vannessa. "That creepy little boy  
is talking BACKWARD! How the HELL can a human being do   
that?"   
_____Leaning forward and getting up slightly to see over   
the rise of the front car seats, the petite cyborg-girl   
also saw the scene out there. "Most certainly, something   
has become wrong with him. I believe it to be the machine   
he possesses..." she said. "Or, has the machine come to   
possess HIM? It is a change of spirit brought about by   
machinery. By MACHINES."   
_____Vicki spoke. "Don't talk like that, Gally. Your body   
is machinery, and it hasn't made YOU horrible. And, I'm   
completely machinery, but I'm not bad, am I. So machines   
aren't all bad. It depends on who uses them."  
_____"Hey! What 'bout me?" whined Vannessa. "I'm not so   
bad, either. But round boy out there IS bad. And I don't  
mean Michael Jackson bad--but REALLY bad. Using machines   
like that, to change people, makes us look evil."   
_____Then Gally reached for a car door handle with her right  
gloved hand. She turned the handle, then stepped out.   
_____"Hey! Where are YOU going, shorty...?" exclaimed   
Vannessa. "Aw, fuck it." Then Vannessa herself opened the   
car door on her side and stepped out.  
_____The electronics of Vicki's mind went over the probable   
outcomes of this latest development. With Vannessa's   
generally callous attitude toward humans and Gally's battle-  
induced sadistic tendencies, there was the high and likely   
chance that the chubby little boy would be horribly mutilated   
in full daylight--in front of the townspeople. Maybe,   
that was the way things were done in Gally's time period--  
or something--but not how things were done here.  
_____With that in her artificial mind, Vicki stepped out   
of the car and closed the door. She did a quick run to   
catch up to the three who strode toward the supermarket--  
in front of which was Cartman--with the people he held in   
thrall.  
---  
_____Cartman then stopped that backward way of talking and  
stopped waving the machine part. "Hmm... Yes, yes. That'll   
do them." He returned the dark machine part to his right   
pants pocket. Straightening the material of his suit jacket   
with mitten-covered hands, he turned from the changed people.   
Facing the three who now stood nearby. "Ahem! Good afternoon,   
ladies...!" He squinted his eyes closed and smiled big. "What   
can I do you for?"  
_____"Give us that God-damned machine part, you fat little  
bastard!" said Vannessa. "You don't know WHERE it's been!  
That thing will probably give you six different types of   
cancer if you hold it long enough... Wait a minute, what   
are you doing in this town, anyway? I never forget a face,   
and I haven't seen yours around."  
_____To that, the boy scowled. "I am ERIC CARTMAN! And,   
I have come for the magic toothbrush so I could never get   
cavities EVER AGAIN! EVER!" He patted his right pocket,  
where he stored the dark machine--the "magic toothbrush."   
"Now that I have it, I'm gonna have a little fun. If you   
skinny bitches wanna try and stand in my way, GO AHEAD AND   
TRY! EEH, HEH-HEH-HEH... I'll use the power of the magic   
toothbrush to SEND YOU TO HELL!"  
_____Vicki's mouth hung open in shock at the brutality of   
the speech and the insults. She then closed it and said,  
"Ooh! Why, you RUDE LITTLE BOY! Where are your parents?   
No, forget it..." That gynoid then began to stride toward   
Cartman. "I'm taking you to... Aah!" A cry of surprise,   
and Vicki was knocked backward, onto her back and hitting   
the parking lot pavement. She snapped to her feet again.   
_____"You CAN'T TOUCH ME, ROBO-BITCH! Can't even GET CLOSE!  
EEH... HEH-HEH-HEH!" went Cartman. He saw looks of surprise   
on the faces of the three females who stood against him.   
"Damn STRAIGHT, I know about you three! You see, with the   
magic toothbrush, I can KNOW things about people. But,   
screw that." He raised his left arm, clenched his mitten   
fist. "Char-r-rge!"   
_____At first, the three enthralled humans just stood there  
behind Cartman, feet on the pavement--the old man, the   
gangly teenager, and the portly woman. All three drooled   
dark drool that fell to the surface of the parking lot,   
their eyes becoming bloodshot. Then they chuckled, and   
laughed.   
_____Gally clenched her gloved fists and stood ready to   
fight. Vannessa moved more to Gally's left, closing her   
hands into fists as well. But then, Vicki stood in front   
of them.   
_____"Gally! Vannessa! Don't kill them!" she said. "They're   
still human... I think." This, as the enthralled people   
shuffled forward.  
_____"We will not mutilate," said Gally. "We will merely  
injure." But, as she said those words, a sort of smile   
came to her lips--not a friendly smile at all. Then came   
the attack.   
---  
_____So the battle was set, with bystanders and the   
supermarket as background. Gally stood in the center.   
Vicki moved to Gally's right; Vannessa to her left.   
Standing before them were the three enthralled humans--  
old man, teenage boy, and middle-aged woman.   
_____With a guffaw, the old man rushed forward. He raised  
his right fist, took a surprisingly quick swinging punch   
at Vannessa.   
_____She easily ducked the punch. Then she heard a grunt   
of pain from the old man as he pulled a muscle. With a   
smile of contempt, the gynoid gave the old man a shove. He   
fell down, and there was the sound of something breaking.   
_____He writhed on the ground, tried to get up. But he   
could not, stayed there on the ground. But still, he   
laughed.   
_____Vannessa hopped back, satisfied. Then Gally rushed   
forward to attack!   
_____She rushed at the teenage boy. Blur-quick, she   
grasped both his wrists--then held the wrists together   
with her left hand. With her right hand, she gave a slight   
punch to the upper part of his stomach, making him fall to   
the ground. Clutching his gut, the teenager laughed...before   
the abdominal spasms came--laughter punctuated by vomit.  
_____Vicki carefully took down the middle-aged portly woman.   
Since the woman was wearing floppy clothes, Vicki was able to   
subdue her quite easily. Moving with machine-speed, Vicki   
tore the woman's sweater sleeves, making for loose strips   
of the cloth. She used the strips to tie the wrists and   
ankles together.   
_____"Hah! Hog tied!" said that gynoid, getting into the  
spirit of this fight. She also managed to catch the middle-  
aged woman before she fell over completely.   
_____That done, the three enthralled people were disabled.   
One vomiting, the other with a broken bone, and the third   
tied up. Such was the end of this "battle."  
---  
_____They regarded those they had to disable. Three   
laughing humans on the asphalt of the parking lot. At   
least, they were not killed.   
_____Gally looked around. "He has left this scene!" She  
gave a glance to the cloud-spotted blue sky overhead. "And,  
it seems he will likely return."  
_____A beefy looking police officer in uniform walked out   
of the supermarket, his hands on his equipment belt.   
Shouldering his way through the crowd of onlookers, he came   
to the scene, seeing three people on the ground--and three   
flustered-looking girls standing close by. "Did you three   
attack these people?" he asked, the confidence of authority   
in his voice.  
_____"We sure did!" said Vannessa, grinning and gesturing  
at the three people on the ground--in various positions.   
"And, oh BOY, was it SO-O-O-O COOL! You shoulda SEEN how I   
took out that old man. Just PUSHED HIM DOWN! And Gally   
here tapped bad boy here in the gut. Vicki hog-tied the   
lady."   
_____The officer stepped closer. "While the ambulances   
get over here, you're coming with me back to the station.   
We can't have teenage girls going around and beating up   
people."  
_____"Huh?" asked Vicki. "But... But... They attacked us   
first! Look at their faces! They were changed! A weird   
boy, Eric Cartman, was here! He came here and did something   
to them. He... He used part of a dark machine. Just ask   
the people standing nearby! No, wait. Contact Mr. Dark.   
We work for him. He'll explain things!"  
_____"Cool it, sis," said Vannessa. "You're babbling. We'll  
let our boss talk to him."  
_____"Oh, Mr. Dark, huh?" asked the officer. "What Mr. Dark's   
team does at night is none of my business. But it's daylight   
still, and ordinary laws still apply. Look, ladies... Just   
come with me back to the station, and we can straighten   
everything out over there."  
_____All this time, Gally had a steely look on her face.  
This situation was certainly unjust. For all that had been  
done for the people of this town, THAT officer was ungrateful.   
But, he was responsible for the townspeople's safety.   
____Looking up at the officer, the cyborg-girl said, "Then,   
police-man, do take us back to the municipal complex--as   
your station is there, anyway."  
_____"Yes, okay..." he said. Stepping behind them, he said,   
"I won't handcuff you three, so long as you cooperate. The   
police car is over there. You can see it."   
_____"No thanks, cop-dude," said Vannessa. "We've got our  
own ride." She took the car keys out of her pocket. "Mr.   
Dark would probably be PISSED if we didn't bring it back."  
_____The officer gave a shrug. "Okay, whatever. Just don't  
try to put up a chase. I'll drive behind you--flashers on.   
Don't try to shake me, either. We'll take Veronica Avenue  
over to Hamilton street, then we go straight to there."  
---  
_____So it was. The officer let the three go to their own  
car as the ambulance came by to collect the injured victims.   
The towns car drove over to where the police officer's car  
was, and the officer went into the car. With the black-and-  
white police cruiser following, Vannessa drove the car to   
the municipal complex.   
---  
_____And they arrived at the municipal complex, wind blowing  
through the trees of the forest that surrounded this place.   
First, Vannessa parked the car, parked it next to the huge   
armored vehicle that sat in front of the police station.   
"How convenient," she muttered, sitting here. "The police   
have their big old station so damned close to our own....   
GYAAH!" Surprised, she quickly turned her head left.  
_____The police officer was standing by this car. He tapped   
on the door with a knuckle, meaning that the three had to   
step out. Calmly and obediently, they got out of this   
car. The officer escorted the three from behind--going   
into the station.   
  
_____They went into the small, hard reception room first--a   
surprisingly small room for such a small station. The  
officer said something to someone at a small reception   
window, and the three girls were taken deeper into this   
hard building...   
  
_____...And after passing through a hall, they were taken  
into a mid-sized and comfortably furnished office. There   
was no window, but the furnishings made up for that. A   
dull red carpet on the floor, paintings on the beige walls,   
and a real wood desk with a fold-up computer on it. The   
lighting was provided by an incandescent reading lamp.   
_____"Nice office," said Vicki. She then got a nasty glare   
from Vannessa. "Hey, it's really nice, isn't it?" Her   
synthetic sister looked up at the ceiling and shook her head   
in annoyance. Whatever!  
_____Gally looked around, saw three chairs. "Yes," said the  
officer, standing by the door that led to the hallway. "Sit   
in those three seats there. Detective Thunderhorse will be   
here in a little while." The three girls did sit down, with  
Vannessa grumbling something.  
_____"In fact," said a calm voice from the hallway, "I   
already am here." The officer stepped aside, and a strong-   
looking, tan-skinned man walked in--clearly a detective,   
his brown shoes quiet on the carpet. He wore brown slacks   
and a white shirt with tie over his powerful-looking physique,   
a gun in a shoulder holster worn over the shirt.   
_____Gally had to stare at the man. Somehow, that detective's  
eyes seemed darker than his dark hair. As he moved to sit   
behind the desk, her large eyes followed his every move.  
_____"You are dressed rather warmly for such weather,   
little one," said the detective to Gally, winking to her.   
"A long-sleeved shirt, jeans and even gloves! Then again, you   
seem more mature than you look; you make your own decisions."   
He then looked at the officer who escorted the girls here.   
In a different tone of voice, the detective said to him,   
"Thank you, Officer Murphy. That will be all for now."  
_____That said, the officer turned and used the door. He   
quietly closed it behind him. Respectfully, as if leaving   
a place of worship.  
_____Leaning forward at his desk, Thunderhorse clasped   
his strong hands together. "Well now! Good afternoon to  
you three." He got nods of greeting from the girls. "It   
simply seems you three were involved a brawl over at the   
supermarket. And according to what I was told, the other   
people involved became ill..." He saw Gally give a slight   
shake of her head. "Okay, little one, do tell me what YOU   
believe happened."  
_____Gally's large eyes met the detective's similarly dark   
stare. She told what happened: "It seems, the other three  
people involved were mentally altered. They were altered  
by way of an odd machine part, held by an odd little boy.   
The boy who, in turn, held the people in thrall.   
_____"After a fit of laughter, the altered people attacked   
us. We chose to defend ourselves with a minimum of force.   
That is what I believe happened and what I saw."  
_____As she spoke, Thunderhorse smiled. Gally liked that  
smile: If her delicate-seeming, pale face wasn't synthetic,   
she would have blushed. That detective's rugged-faced smile   
reminded her of someone.   
_____He spoke. "If that is what you believe, then that is  
what happened." Putting his hands flat atop the desk, he  
said, "At least, that is close enough."  
_____Vicki raised her right hand as if she were in a   
classroom. The detective at the desk nodded. "Excuse me,  
Detective Thunderhorse, but is that ordinary police procedure?   
You believe us? No court proceedings? No trial?"   
_____"For one thing," began the detective, "this town has gone   
FAR from ordinary police procedure since the things started   
happening! And for another thing, I do believe you. I also   
believe much more. Oh yes, there is more."  
_____Gally put her gloved hands in her jeans-covered lap--the  
feeling of firm metal beneath the cloth. "What do you mean by   
that? Is there more?"   
_____"There is always more to the story than what is visible,"  
said Thunderhorse. "Because, everyday reality is not all   
there is. If you do not wish to hear a piece of a lecture,   
you may close your ears to me now. But, if you wish to   
hear more truth, then listen.   
_____"To begin, for far too long, the people of this land  
have believed in just THEMSELVES. They thought that reality  
was just material! Making money, buying lots of STUFF, and   
going home to watch television. THAT was all the reality   
they cared about! STUFF!  
_____"They grew fat and complacent, thinking that so long as   
they have their cable television...and their nice-looking   
cars...and their cool clothes...and all of their material   
possessions, everything would be fine until they die. But   
no, not this time."  
_____Gally thought about what she saw so far of this town.   
Neat houses, healthy people, and clean air. At least,   
conditions in this town were immensely better than where   
SHE came from! With cars to drive around in, healthy air,   
professional police, and plenty of green nature around,   
this town was quite comfortable and satisfied. Though   
there were things that happened at night, the people still   
stayed.  
_____"Something happened here, Gally," said Thunderhorse.   
"Something happened to make...OTHER influences come to this   
town. Influences that have been gone from the land for a   
long time. Foul and dark influences that should have been  
banished a very long time ago.   
_____"But, then came hope. Before even Mr. Dark set up a   
base in this town, before there were even investigations  
into the cause of things happening, someone from Another   
Place has decided to help--someone not from around here at  
all. To us, he appears as the Little Man."   
_____"What the HELL?" said Vannessa aloud, nearly standing  
up from her seat. "This isn't making any real sense.   
Sorry, Detective... But is there some loophole in the   
lawbooks that lets cops smoke weed? 'Cause you must've   
smoked SOMETHING today, and you're not sounding sober."  
_____Putting her left hand on Vannessa's shoulder, Vicki  
said, "Please shut up, Vannessa. Though we have never   
ourselves seen the Little Man, we know he exists as so many  
others have seen him. Okay, detective, tell us more. In a   
sort of way, this is making some sense."  
_____Thunderhorse thrust a pointing finger at Vannessa.   
"Indeed, it makes excellent sense, Vannessa! Are YOU what   
you seem, synthetic girl? No, you are NOT! I know what   
you are, and so do many other officers. You and your   
'sister' look like people, but you are not people at all.   
You two are fancy robot-machines disguised to be young   
women--gynoids." He lowered the hand, stopped pointing.   
"Likewise, the Little Man is not what he seems. Oh, you   
WOULDN'T BELIEVE what he REALLY is!"   
_____Vannessa angrily shook her head. "What the HELL, what  
the Hell, WHAT THE HELL! Detective, you're a really nice   
cop and all, but that's crazy! We already know what's   
going on... We found two weird machines that were responsible   
for all this. Somebody hid them and left the machines   
running. The machines started making things happen, and   
that's it. A simple story."  
_____"Really, now?" asked Thunderhorse. "Is that all?   
Who MADE those machines? Maybe there was an accident from   
the night, and the machines came here? Maybe we all have   
our fill of what is represented by oatmeal?" He looked at   
the door. "Gally, you are seated closest. Open the   
door right now."  
_____She stood up and opened the door. And there stood   
Officer Murphy, his right hand poised to knock on the door.   
In his left hand, he had a manilla folder.   
_____Then she stood aside, sat back down in her seat. Officer  
Murphy chuckled uncomfortably. "How did you know I was   
standing right...? Oh! Heh, heh.... Detective   
Thunderhorse, you and your crazy magic tricks. One day,   
I'll figure out how you do it." He stepped into this   
office, put the manilla folder on Detective Thunderhorse's   
desk. "Here's the medical report. It turns out the girls   
here weren't responsible after all. I have to go on   
patrol now...."   
_____"Thank you, Murphy," said Thunderhorse, opening the  
manilla folder. The officer walked out, and Thunderhorse   
read the first document. "Just as before.... Just as it  
always is." He held it up. "Girls, THIS is a final medical   
report on the three victims you encountered at the  
supermarket. The people had to be destroyed, you see."  
_____Pressing her lips together, Gally took on a grim   
look. She stared at that report Thunderhorse held. There   
was a reason for that development. But she would let others   
ask why.  
_____"WHAT? They had to be KILLED?" asked Vicki, surprised.  
Three human beings... Killed? Because of what that Cartman   
boy did to them? Or because of what we did to subdue them?   
What happened to them that forced the medical people   
to...euthanize those people?"  
_____"Actually," said Thunderhorse, "They were dead before  
the medical personnel arrived on-scene--though they did not   
seem dead to bystanders. The affected people moved and   
laughed. They seemed alert and conscious. But they had   
no pulse, no significant body temperature... No LIFE.  
The medical personnel of this town have seen that kind of   
condition before. There is no real cure for death, you   
know, so the victims had to be destroyed at Robert Wood   
Johnson Hospital...before night came."  
_____"Oh, SHIT!" exclaimed Vannessa. "But if they became  
what I think they became, how did they survive during the   
daytime? I thought... Never mind! Never mind this!"   
_____"Never mind, indeed..." said Thunderhorse. "Hah,   
hah... That is a very nice statement, Vannessa Lawson.  
'Never mind.'" Then the desk lamp flickered; the detective's   
eyes flickered to it.   
_____"Indeed," continued Thunderhorse, "things are happening   
in this town. And Yuko, I suspect someone wants to have   
a meeting with you... Oh, sorry. You're GALLY. Names   
are silly things at times, aren't they! Anyway, HE wants   
to talk to you after this. Hell, I've explained too much   
already!"  
_____Gally nodded... Then gasped. The name 'Yuko' was   
frightfully familiar. It made her head seem to swirl...  
She shook her head slowly as if to clear it of intruding   
thoughts that wanted to come around.  
_____"We're done for now," said Thunderhors. "I'll walk   
you three to the door. According to the reports, you're not   
at fault at all."   
_____"I seem to tire," said Gally. "No, I give you apology.   
The phrasing...is awkward."   
_____"No problem," said Thunderhorse. "Vicki, Vannessa,  
take your friend back to the recreation center quickly.   
He will take her to another meeting from there."  
_____That said, Thunderhorse escorted them through the hall  
and away from the office. They walked past doors, walked   
over to the end of this hall. Beyond the last door was  
the small reception room, and the way out of this station.   
---  
_____The three walked out of the police station, then   
stepped aside as a few hurried officers moved to step right   
into this station. "Wonder what they're so excited about?"   
muttered Vannessa. "Must be some kind of free donut   
day..."   
_____From there, they just had to walk their way over to  
the recreation center. Blue sky overhead, the day was   
clean and relatively clear. Not too many clouds in the  
sky. But, the day was growing late.  
---  
_____And the three stepped into the recreation center.   
As they stepped through the foyer in here, Gally stumbled.   
Vicki moved quickly, knelt to catch Gally by the shoulders.   
The moment stoped, with that gynoid worried and the petite   
cyborg feeling embarrassed.  
_____Gally sighed. "I am yet fine," she said. "It was   
just a momentary lapse. Such happens, and it will pass."  
Standing up and firmly lifting Vicki's hold on her, she   
ran her fingers through her own dark hair--like a cat   
reasserting its dignity by grooming.  
_____"You sure 'bout that, kiddo?" asked Vannessa. "You  
haven't had problems like this before, unless you count...  
Never mind!"  
_____"Let's go take you down to the lab," said Vicki.   
"Maybe Dr. Briette should have a look at you. Did a hit to   
your head do something to your brain?"  
_____A shake her head, Gally clenched her fists once. "My  
brain remains well. Come! We move now to speak with   
Mr. Dark. For our goals tonight, we should plan." And   
she strode out of the foyer--expecting the gynoids to   
follow immediately... Ka-Thud!  
_____"Oh my God!" exclaimed Vicki. She gave a look to   
Vannessa, then ran from here into the public lounge. And  
there she and Vannessa found Gally, fallen on her side.   
Not moving...  
---  
_____...And when Gally re-awakened, she found herself in  
that OTHER place--the Third Place. As before, she found   
herself seated at a green formica table--a spotlight shining  
down from the infinite darkness above. Only the hard floor   
close to this table was visible. Everything else around  
was invisible darkness.   
_____The Little Man stepped out of nowhere and into this   
light, and Gally saw that he was dressed as usual. The   
same red-themed business clothes--red slacks and black   
silk shirt to go with the jacket.  
_____He sat himself in the chair opposite Gally. "Bad   
NEWS..." he said. "More...bad...NEWS." He waved his   
small hands over the formica table top. Things faded into  
view.   
_____First, there was the flat paper figure of Cartman on   
the table, a cartoonish depiction of the real-life little   
boy that Gally encountered. Then, three packets of   
Quaker (tm) Instant Oatmeal--cinnamon-flavor--appeared on   
the table as well, to the right of the paper figure.   
_____Gally looked to the Little Man for explanation. What  
did the oatmeal mean? He said to her, "THEY...may become   
more...ANOTHERS! So sad. They come from powdered rises.   
And they will arrive...THROUGH the BREEZE." The Little Man   
nodded and looked at the three packets of instant oatmeal   
on the table.  
_____And as that dark-haired cyborg watched, the packets   
of oatmeal began to empty--becoming deflated. Somehow, the   
oatmeal was coming out of the packets--though there were   
no holes in them. Soon, the three packets of oatmeal were   
empty and flat.  
_____"The Another...desires TRUE oatmeal!" said the Little   
Man. "And, the STRA-A-A-NGE machine does what it DOES!   
HE has the PART."  
_____At this point, Gally clutched her head--fingers to the  
sides. WHAT DID HE MEAN BY THAT? This was a place just   
outside of reality. And the "rules" were different, including  
the rules of logic.   
_____Therefore, the things the Little Man said and did were   
not things that would make sense using the logic of reality.  
Despite this being one of more than several visits to this   
place, Gally was still NOT fully understanding. But, she   
was coming CLOSE to understanding things.  
_____"But... I bring GOOD NEWS!" said the Little Man.   
"Go-o-od NEWS." There was a breeze through this place,   
and the objects on the table vanished. This time, a   
ceramic bowl appeared, full of oatmeal.   
_____Just a bowl of oatmeal? Gally stared at the foodstuff,   
expecting the Little Man to do something. He stared at the  
bowl as well... Just stared. "Above, look!" said the  
Little Man.  
_____She and the Little Man looked up at the same time.   
And she saw them: bolts. Visible and floating in the   
darkness above, there were six hexagonal machine bolts.   
They were arranged in a circular pattern, like small  
ships in a vast darkness.   
_____"Praised be thy blessed NAME!" said the Little Man.  
Gally looked down from the spectacle above, looked to the  
Little Man. There was a large smile on his dwarfish face.  
"This is a regular EVENT! Blessed, BE! Oh, BLESSED...BE!"  
_____Looking up again, Gally saw that the floating metal  
bolts were descending. Something about the bolts made her  
want to move her seat away from the table... And she   
tried--pushing her sneaker-clad feet against the floor.   
_____But, no... Something unseen pushed her back to the  
table again. Gally could not push her seat away from this   
formica table! She glared at the Little Man, who only had a   
beatific look on his face--even if it looked slightly wrong.  
_____The Little Man is not what he seems... Gally   
remembered the notion as she looked at the Little Man.   
Indeed, she saw that the Little Man was really something   
she did not know. As he looked up, looked at the floating  
metal bolts, she saw something in his looks.... Or, beneath   
his looks.  
_____"Blessed, BE!" said the Little Man. "Blessed be thy   
NAME! Thy WILL be...DONE!" He raised his arms to the   
floating bolts that now hovered yet closer to this table.   
Then something fell down from where the bolts were.  
_____There was a clattering sound...before the object hit  
the table--the sound came before the actual impact. Gally   
saw that it was a spoon. A large silver spoon.  
_____With slow reverence, the Little Man leaned forward   
and used both his hands to move the bowl toward Gally.   
"Take onto you...a deep taste of the OATMEAL!"  
_____Smirking, Gally did. With the spoon in her right hand,  
she set the spoon into the soft gray mush. With a bit of   
it on the spoon, she brought it to her lips... DELICIOUS!  
_____Yet one tiny spoonful was all that she could take.   
She felt the tight feeling in her artificial stomach that  
meant she ate as much as she could. Just ONE spoonful!   
_____With that spoonful, Gally seemed to understand   
EVERYTHING! She knew what the Little Man really was, and  
where the strange machines came from. There were reasons  
why the town had gone wrong. And soon, very soon, things   
would be undone....   
____Then she took on a look of surprise, and she released  
the spoon. It made the clattering sound before it actually   
struck the table, then things were silent. Her head full  
of pain, she fell out of her chair... Fell to the hard   
floor...  
---  
_____"...Was on the floor," she heard Vicki say. "She just   
fell unconsciousness again. Like all those times before...   
I don't like it." Gally did not see anyone because her eyes   
were closed.  
_____"The diagnostics showed no brain damage. Shh...   
She's coming around," went Dr. Briette's voice. "Her eyes   
no longer show r.e.m. movement."   
_____Then came Vannessa's voice from elsewhere in the   
room. "She slept all damned day...and MOST OF THE NIGHT!  
Damn, and now the cops are taking over night patrols again   
just 'cause almost all the Night People are gone... Okay,  
okay, I'll quit my bitchin'. Just don't look at me that  
way. But this is, like, SO-O-O unfair!"  
_____She opened her eyes--and saw the face of Dr. Briette.   
While Gally was out, she had been physically placed in the   
autodoc machine. The upper part of the bed-like machine   
was slid partially aside, and she could climb out of it.   
_____But before she did, she would tell them some things.  
"I met the Little Man in the Third Place again. And I   
know what must be done come tomorrow's light. I know   
where we must go to meet the newcomers."   
---  
_____Under other circumstances, it would be WAY past   
Cartman's bedtime. The fat little boy would have been   
told to go to bed by his mother...back in the town of South   
Park. But this was far, FAR from that town up north. This   
place was REAL! This was New Jersey, God-damnit! He could   
go to bed any time he fucking wanted to!  
_____At the time, he was walking down Somerset Street,   
another wide, two-lane roadway that ran parallel to   
Hamilton. The streetlights along this roadway were worse  
than Hamilton's. Only the exterior lights from roadside   
buildings and businesses gave light enough to see. And   
there were places here where there was no sidewalk--no   
paved walkway along the roadside. Worse, there was no moon   
visible in the sky.  
_____"Hah, hah, hah..." chuckled four Night People, who   
walked with Cartman. All that he had to do was walk down  
the street, and they would come out to him. They came out   
of trees and climbed up out of the dirt--but only at night.   
Cartman suspected that it was his magic tootbrush that   
brought them out.   
_____"Heh, you guys are so-o-o cool!" he said, stepping his  
way to a restaurant's parking lot--a fast food place. Here,   
he could summon a taxi cab.   
_____"I got my own army of the undead! MAN! I feel cool!   
You dead guys are cool, I'm cool, it's ALL COO'! EEH..HEH,   
HEH, HEH..." He reached into his right pants pocket,   
taking out the dark machine part, his "magic toothbrush."   
He kissed it.   
_____"Okay, magic toothbrush, gimme my damned cab," he said  
to the cylindrical device. Then things started happening.   
Nearby lights flickered, and a misplaced breeze blew   
across this restaurant's small parking lot.   
_____Then the dull yellow taxi cab pulled up into the small  
parking lot. And the Night People laughed, nearly letting   
themselves get hit by the vehicle as it pulled in. It was   
the same cab that took Cartman around town, the same   
ill-lit vehicle with the semi-animal engine rumble.  
_____One of the cab's rear doors opened, revealing that   
same dimly lit interior. Dark mist swirled out from the   
vehicle. At the front, the driver was hunched over the   
wheel--his face not visible from out here.  
___"Kewl!" said Cartman, pocketing his machine part. He  
then waddled up to the vehicle and stepping in. But   
before he closed the door, he said to his nearby party   
of Night People.   
___"You guys go jack off or somethin'. I'm callin' my   
friends when I get back to the hotel. See ya!" Then he   
closed the door, and the vehicle motored away with its  
important passenger. And as soon as the cab pulled away   
along the night-darkened stretch of ill-lit road, the   
Night People by the restaurant faded out of existence--their  
laughter going into the breeze.   
---  
_____In an hour, Cartman was back at the grand hotel in the  
woods. He tossed a few hundred dollar bills onto the back   
seat of the cab, told the driver to go hire himself a good   
escort lady, and stepped out. The vehicle drove off into the   
night, to vanish until needed again. That very chubby boy   
then stepped up the stairs and into the hotel.   
_____In the finely furnished lobby, he waddled up to the   
counter--which was higher than he was. "Hiya, guy....   
Any calls while I was out? Or were you talkin' to your   
local pimp?"  
_____The tall man behind the counter shook his head. "No,   
young sir. No calls for you this evening. And how have   
you enjoyed your room? Would you like room service?"  
_____"Eh-h-h... Nah!" answered Cartman. "I'm sleepin'."   
He reached into his left pocket and pulled out a five-hundred  
dollar bill. Reached up to toss it atop the counter. "Here  
ya go, guy!"  
_____Humbly, the man behind the lobby counter accepted the  
money. "Thank you, young sir. Good night."   
_____"Good night to you too, asshole," he said. Not being   
able to put his mittened hands in his suit-jacket pocket, he   
put them in his pants pockets. So posed, he went to the   
hall to the left of the lobby--himself whistling and heading   
toward the elevators.  
_____In minutes, he rode the elevator to the sixth floor--  
where his room was. A walk through this door-lined hall,   
and he was at his room. He went in, slammed the door.  
_____"Man, I'm SO-O-O pooped...." he said, entering the small   
living room area. He went over to the night stand and sat   
in the lounge chair there. There was a telephone there.  
He picked up the handset and dialed--long distance.  
_____In a few minutes, one of his friends picked up on the  
other end. "Hey, Stan!" shouted Cartman into the handset.   
"It's about time you picked up!"  
_____"What the HELL d'you want, Cartman?" asked his friend   
on the other end, sounding tinny through the telephone   
earpiece. Like Cartman and all his other friends, Stan was   
yet another foul-mouthed little boy. "It's 2:00 a.m. in the   
GOD-DAMNED morning, you asshole! And it's been a long-ass   
day! Bad enough Kenny got slaughtered by the cops because   
of the big-assed money order he got in the mail... They   
thought he was getting involved with a Canadian drug   
cartel!"  
_____"Yeah, the money!" shouted Cartman to Stan on the phone.   
"Heh, heh... I sent the money! And, I sent plane and bus   
tickets!"   
_____"What the HELL did you do THAT for, dumbass?" bitched  
Stan on the other end. "Kyle and I BOTH had to hide the  
money before the cops could catch us too! Man, you should   
SEE what's left of Kenny after the cops got done with 'em."   
_____"Screw what those jackasses think! Listen up!" said   
Cartman. "I want YOU, Kyle and Kenny to get your asses   
over here to Franklin Township! New Jersey! I got myself   
a magic toothbrush, and it's granting any God-damned wish   
I want!"  
_____Stan's excited voice came even louder through the  
telephone. "Are you SERIOUS, fatass? You mean Ned was  
right about the magic toothbrush? Man, I oughta start   
listening to weed-smoking hippies too!"  
____"Heh, heh... Whatever, dude! Just get the guys, pack   
a suitcase, and get over here! We got money to take and   
shit to make! This town is gonna be OURS!"   
_____"Wait a fucking minute..." said Stan. Cartman then  
heard the sound of Stan setting down the telephone and  
clicking on a lamp. There was the sound of newspaper   
rustling... "New Jersey? Man, that state SUCKS! And   
according to something on the front page of the National   
Enquirer, Franklin Township is really fucked up! THAT   
WHOLE DAMN TOWN IS HAUNTED!"  
_____"Uh..." said Cartman, looking around. Just then, the   
nightstand lamp flickered, and a slight moaning breeze   
blew outside this hotel room's window. "I do not know   
what you are talking about. Nothing is suspicious here."   
Putting his left hand to his silk shirt-covered chest, he   
said, "I mean this with all my heart, Stan. Nothing is   
wrong with this town. Please come here by tomorrow   
morning. And bring the guys. We're gonna have a blast! Hell, I'll   
even make sure that my night-time bodyguards make sure   
Kenny doesn't get killed."  
_____"No, wait...!" said Stan. "Dude, how can that town  
NOT be haunted? The National Enquirer is one of the best  
damned papers in this whole damned country. And they..."   
_____"My dear friend," answered Cartman in a calm and polite-  
sounding voice. "I do not know what you are talking about.   
I believe that those articles are written with the intent  
of soiling this FINE town's impeccible reputation.... Now  
GET YOUR FAT-HEADED SELF DOWN TO JERSEY! OR I'LL MAKE YOU   
WEAR GIRLS' UNDERWEAR! THEN I'LL MAKE YOU EAT YOUR   
PARENTS!"  
_____"Jesus!" exclaimed Stan. "Okay, keep your panties on!   
I'll call'em up. They're not gonna be too happy about you   
wanna do.... You'd BETTER NOT BE SHITTING US, fatass."  
_____"Okay, my friend," said Cartman. "I will see you   
tomorrow... And when you get here, go to the bus stop at  
the end of DeMott Lane. See ya!" He hung up, cutting off  
Stan in the middle of a multi-part obscenity. 


	10. Chapter 10

Timefallen: Chapter 10 (by Elliot Bowers)   
--  
"She Would Die For Love" and "Movin' In On You" vocals   
by Julee Cruise, lyrics by David Lynch  
--  
  
__(NAO)--Prepare to go to the armory by 9:20 a.m. tomorrow.   
--Today, though, re-upload Chapter 9.  
  
_____It was just nearing afternoon of the following day.  
At the time, Gally and Vannessa were at the recreation   
center, sitting in the public lounge. Both of them sitting   
and relaxing on the two couches. And, for whatever reason,  
Vannessa thought about clothes. About outfits... Now,   
HOW many outfits did she go through since coming to this  
town?   
_____Clothes... Clothes... Vannessa looked over at Gally--  
sitting on the couch opposite. The cyborg-girl was wearing   
a fresh set of body-disguising clothes: a long-sleeved   
shirt with a collar that circled around her neck, jeans that   
fit just right--sneakers on her feet and gloves on her hands.   
Since only her head was exposed, the metal-bodied girl   
looked perfectly normal--and quite pretty.  
_____"Hey Gally," asked Vannessa at one point. "What's   
fashion like in the future? Or, is there some kinda generic   
fashion that everybody uses in that ruined future time of   
yours? You know... Tattered casual wear, mixed up outfits   
made from old sports gear? Stuff like that? Or... Just  
tell me."   
_____"Uh?" exclaimed Gally, surprised. She was caught midway   
through a reverie, looking out the window. "Hmm... How to   
describe...? The situation is not so dark as that in Scrap   
Iron City. Different clothing styles, depending on one's   
place in society. I imagine the citizens of the floating   
city are yet better off with choices of clothing."  
_____To that, Vannessa shrugged--looked at the employees  
that passed through here. Most of them employees were   
working at this time and only passed through briefly.   
Occasionally, they gave disdainful stares at what Gally   
and Vannessa wore--close-fitting and revealing clothes.   
When one more woman came through the lounge, giving a   
glare, the gynoid stuck out her tongue: Disrespect!  
_____When that employee walked out of the lounge again,  
flustered, Vanness laughed. "Aah, hah-hah...! What prudes!   
Gally, if I make it back to California in one piece after   
tonight, I'm going to walk completely naked down every   
other beach there! Yeah, just to see the looks on the   
humans' faces!"   
_____Gally, still looking out the lounge window, went   
wide-eyed. She never remembered a time when she had a   
body of flesh--real or synthetic. Her bodies were always   
well-sculpted alloys: Pleasing to eyes in shape, but always  
bodies of metal. The only synthetic skin she ever had was  
the skin of her head and neck, with straight dark hair--to  
make her at least look "normal" from the neck up. If Gally   
went "nude," she would just appear to wear form-fitting   
armor. Her close-fitting "armor" was her body.  
_____But, a covering of synthetic flesh would not be   
practical now. In the toxic and randomly violent environment   
of Scrap Iron City, in Gally's time period, synthetic flesh   
would not last. And, looking to be a fully human female would   
make her a target for mutilation or rape... Or both.   
_____"Maybe, days will come... Superior days in which..."   
whispered Gally, those thoughts on her mind. "Better days   
in my own home-time, someday..." She finished, staring   
outside. Her voice sounded on the edge of deep sorrow.   
_____A breeze blew outside the windows. A breeze just as  
lost as Gally's thoughts. "Hey, metal-chick! Did I lose   
you?" ask Vannessa. "Earth to Gally! Earth to Gally!   
Return to the planet! Like, you look.... LOST."  
_____Gally sighed, put her hands on her jeans-clad thighs.   
"We are all lost, Vannessa. We are all lost without   
personal quests for self-improvement. A vast universe of   
possibilities and karma, but we each only have so much of   
anything."  
_____"Whoa, karma!" exclaimed Vannessa. "Sounds mystical.  
But doesn't karma just count for you living things? Well,  
in your case, semi-living things? Oh, sorry... Your brain  
is still alive...right, right? So that counts, metal-girl!   
Unless your brain's been modified, then it wouldn't really be   
alive. It would be... Never mind, I'm just ranting."  
_____To begin to respond, Gally leaned forward on the couch   
and opened her mouth...just as Vicki walked in. Then she  
closed her mouth and shook her head. Vicki came in, dressed   
as usual--jeans and blouse, her fluffy brown hair bound   
back in a large ponytail style.  
_____"Hey, sis!" said Vannessa, sliding to the left. "Have  
a seat! We're having ourselves a blast! Yeah! Just talking  
and sitting around, not going to parties, not flirtin' with   
humans, not doin' ANYTHING FUN!"  
_____"Cut the sarcasm," said Vicki, scowling and sitting   
to the right of her sister. Switching over to a happy   
face, she said, "Don't worry! After tonight, it'll be   
over for us..."   
_____"Yeah... Over for us, HOW?" asked Vannessa. "I bet   
that freaky fat boy will use the machine part to blast us  
into spare parts! Then we'd have to get rebuilt all over  
again! Putting us out of the action for WEEKS! Being   
destroyed is SUCH a BITCH!"  
_____"That is not the way I was told it would be," said   
Gally from the opposite couch. "Seated with the Little Man,   
I have come to know how things may be tonight. We have done   
all we could. Our role now is to witness, not that of full  
combat at this point."  
_____"Oh yeah... How did The Little Man talk to you again?  
Through OATMEAL?" asked Vannessa. "Freaky. You took a   
bite of oatmeal in some mysterious place, and...all of a   
sudden... You can suddenly see the future?"  
_____Putting her fingertips to her lips, she said, "Yet,   
such was not merely oatmeal." She smiled. "Through a   
taste of it, I understand what will come tonight."  
_____Vicki clasped her hands together. "But Gally, if we're  
just supposed to be witnesses, doesn't that mean that what  
happens will just happen by itself? Without us being   
there? I mean, is there any point in putting us all in   
more danger? Don't you want to be alive enough to get   
home, Gally?" Vicki put a hand on one of Vannessa's   
shoulders. "If it means anything, Vannessa and I will just   
go to the encounter tonight."   
_____"What the fuck...?" went Vannessa. She firmly removed   
Vicki's seemingly amiable hold on the shoulder. "Sis, cool   
it a minute..."  
_____"Such is not the way things are to play out to be,"  
said Gally. "As I have a soul, I must bear witness to what   
passes. It was a request given to me by the one who helped   
us thus far."  
_____"Let me guess," said Vannessa, sitting up on the couch   
and crossing her arms. "The OATMEAL told you that?"   
_____"It spoke to me, in such and such a way," said Gally.  
"There are ways of listening to what is said. And, things  
are said in different ways. It comes from understanding   
what has happened thus far."  
_____Vannessa glanced outside the lounge window. "Oh yeah?   
If the oatmeal is giving yoou some sorta temporary psychic  
ability, then what are we going to do in half an hour?"  
_____"We go to a place of books," said Gally. She looked  
to Vannessa. "As you know, there is a free public library   
in this area. We should be there within half an hour, and   
then we are to hide within."  
---  
_____Outside, not too far away from the municipal complex,   
the dark-dressed chubby boy stood at end of the sidewalk.  
This was the intersection between DeMott Lane and Hamilton  
Street--a stop light mounted up nearby. There were plenty  
of roadside trees to reduce the severity of the wind, as   
this area was still semi-forest. Clouds moving high above   
in a slow blue sky...  
_____Cars kept passing by. The wind WHIPPED through the  
intersection. "Man, oh man..." he muttered to himself. It   
was a moderate summer day, and the wind was not at all   
cold. But that last fast breeze chilled him; it was a very  
freaky breeze.   
_____He heard the sound of a diesel engine, and he looked to  
the left--looked at the steady vehicular traffic that went by...   
Ah, he saw a grey bus. Then, he KNEW that his friends had   
to be on that damned bus! Just KNEW it!  
_____Soon the damned bus pulled up to the intersection, and   
his three friends stepped out--three boys his age and height.   
_____Stan came out first, a short boy not nearly as fat as   
Cartman--dressed winter clothes and hat. Kyle stepped   
out of the bus as well, looking quite similar to Stan--but   
with a slightly ruonder face and different winter clothes.   
The last friend to step out of the bus was more bundled up  
for than the others--so over-dressed in insulated clothes  
that only his eyes were visible. And he lugged a suitcase   
out of the bus.   
_____The damned bus drove away. There, on the sidewalk and   
standing in a row, the friends stood and looked around.   
Stan spoke first.   
_____"Dudes, this town looks freaky after all! It looks so   
REAL!" He looked at Cartman--who waited for them. "DUDE,   
you look REAL, too!"  
_____"Yeah, dude," said Kyle, his voice slightly lower-pitched  
than Stan. "This town is freaking me out! Like, we stepped   
out of a cartoon and became real-life people in a real town!  
Some steppin' into some kinda alternate universe!"  
_____Kenny tried to talk. "Mmf-mmf! Muft mike mear mife!"   
There was nothing wrong with Kenny's mouth, actually. But  
he was often so bundled up in winter clothes--bundled up to   
his nose--that his words were always just as muffled.   
_____But Cartman understood; Kenny's friends understood what  
he said. Still, Cartman was annoyed. Annoyed at what his  
friends were talking about. "Quit tryin' to fuck up my head,   
you guys! This town is normal enough! An' we're gonna take   
it over!" He reached into his right pocket and took out the   
cylindrical gray machine part. "DUDES... This is the magic   
toothbrush. It grants almost any wish I want!"   
_____His three friends blinked at him. "Dude..." said Stan.   
"I'm not sure I believe you. Like, what if I said I wanted a   
five-hundred dollar bill... Right HERE, right NOW?"   
_____"You mean, like this?" asked Cartman. He raised   
the machine part... The breeze blew.... The sky darkened   
once... And then...  
_____Stan reached into his left pocket. "Oh SHIT!" From   
the pocket, he took out a new black wallet. In the   
wallet... "I don't believe it! A God-damned FIVE-HUNDRED   
DOLAR BILL! Damn! Glad I cut school this week! I'm fucking  
RICH NOW!" Indeed, if five dollars was a lot of money to a   
little boy, then five HUNDRED was seen as being independantly   
wealthy.  
_____"Mmf mfwoo!" said Kenny. Though his words were still  
muffled by the thickness of his jacket hood, his wide-open  
eyes bespoke his excitedness: He just saw real magic, magic  
that just granted a real fucking WISH! God-damned real-life  
MAGIC!  
_____Kyle spoke next. "But... Dude, I don't like this.   
Isn't that kinda dangerous? I mean, having such a device   
that can give you anything you want? Power corrupts,   
Cartman! Power CORRUPTS!"  
_____"SHUT UP, Jew!" whined Cartman. "I don't need any  
mother-fucking, God-damned MORALS. Now then..." he continued,   
pocketing the machine part, then rubbing his hands together.   
"You want in on my plan or not?"  
_____"Don't belittle me because of my ethnicity, fatass!"  
shouted Kyle, the offended boy. "If you want my help,   
you'll have to..."   
_____"Yeah, yeah, Jew-boy," said Cartman. "Okay, we'll talk  
about it over at the library. Just hope those librarians  
don't give us any crap for not bein' in school..." He   
turned. "Come with me, boys! We got plans for tonight!"  
_____He then began to walk--or waddle--away. Behind him,   
his friends followed--Stan and Kyle. Kenny first stooped  
to hoist the big suitcase atop his back, then followed as   
well.  
--  
_____Elsewhere, not too far away... The three females had   
but a short distance to take in getting to the library--  
which was the one-story sprawling building to the right of   
the recreation center. Still, Gally insisted that they   
move quickly. With a smile on her face, she ran across   
the paved area from here to there--Vicki and Vannessa   
following.   
_____They quick-stopped their run right in front of the   
automated glass doors--which slid open for them. And they   
stepped into the vast and comfortably furnished bright   
building.  
--  
_____It was quite an area in here, with not too many   
people around now. Most of the library was one wide room.   
All along the left, for a city blocks' distance, were   
multiple tall aisles of hardcover books. And the circulation   
counter was at the right--where books could be scanned   
for borrowing. A squared-off reference center was in the   
middle of this area--with wide reading tables beyond it.   
And though there were quite a few townspeople here, reading  
and such, it was quite quiet. The tall windows at the  
very end let in the afternoon sunlight. A relaxing place.   
_____Gally turned to the twin gynoids. "Come. We occupy  
the aisles of books." She pivoted left on her sneakered   
heels with electro-mechanical precision, then strode   
straight over to the book aisles.   
_____Shrugging her shoulders, Vicki and Vannessa followed.   
Vannessa thinking, That little cyborg is creepy--acts more  
like a machine than a little girl...with a machine body.   
_____They found Gally in the third aisle of books--in the   
fiction section. She stood there, her short self with a   
smug look on her pert little face.   
_____Vicki whispered. "What are we doing here now? Is   
this part of what we're supposed to do?" She looked   
around...  
_____Standing on tip-toes and cupping her gloved hands  
around her mouth to channel her voice, she whispered back,   
"Indeed, such is part of what we are to do. A confirmation   
of your suspicions."   
_____Looking up at the ceiling once, Vannessa put her   
hands on her hips. She whispered, "OUR suspicions? What  
are you babbling about, little cyborg-girl?"  
_____Gently moving Vicki aside as so she could get over   
to Vannessa in this aisle, Gally then stood on tip-toes  
and repeated what she did. Whispered, "Confirmation comes  
within seconds. Await the doors opening once more."  
_____Just then, there was the sound of this library's   
automatic doors sliding open. Gally stood here smiling,  
listening--as did Vicki and Vannessa. Something was up.   
_____Listening with their enhanced hearing, they heard a  
whispered tirade between four foul-mouthed little boys who   
just stepped in. One of the boys was most definitely   
Cartman.   
_____"...Damned if I don't do that," whispered Cartman to his   
party as they moved past the reference counter up front,   
moving to one of the reading tables near here. Kenny put   
down the suitcase with a soft thump, and sat down at that   
before the others did.  
_____"Well, now..." said Cartman, sitting at the far left   
side of the table--opposite his three friends. Dressed   
as he was, he looked the role of a pre-pubescent business   
tyrant. "You guys have got to listen to ME before we do   
anything else in this here town."  
_____"Sure, I know," said Stan in a voice just above a   
whisper. "We'll have to be careful. This whole damned   
town's haunted. All we've gotta do is avoid ghosts and all   
that shit."  
_____"MF MOF! MOFTF?" exclaimed Kenny, his words still   
muffled by the hood and jacket he wore. Had he not been   
wearing such a speech-stifling outfit, his shout would have   
surely raised attention. But...it didn't.  
_____"Dude, you're scaring Kenny," whisper-spoke Kyle.   
"Okay, Cartman, I've had plenty of time to read back issues  
of the National Enquirer on the trip into town...just to   
check out what Stan told me yesterday. What's this fucking   
crap about this town being haunted, Cartman?"  
_____"Hoo, boy..." said Cartman, still managing to   
whisper-talk. "This damned town is not haunted, get me?   
Not, not, not, not....not haunted. But I'll tell you what.   
There are three fucking girls after me. If you can call  
them 'girls,' I mean...."   
_____To that, Kyle laughed, "HA-HA-HAH... WHAT THE FUCK ARE   
YOU TALKING ABOUT, CARTMAN! How the HELL can girls be   
attracted to a pile of whore-dumped shit like you? HAH,   
HAH, HAH... You haven't even gone through PUBERTY!"   
_____"SH-H-H!" From all throughout this main room of the   
library, people shushed that boy. This is a LIBRARY! SHUSH  
UP!  
_____Scowling and whispering, Cartman responded, "Shut up,  
Jew-boy." He eyed his three friends across this table.   
"Listen to this. See, they know about the magic tootbrush,   
too. I don't know how THEY know, but they do. Look, one of   
the girls is a Japanese cyborg from the future. And the   
other two are robots that just LOOK human--like from the   
Terminator movies. I used the magic toothbrush to find   
out."  
_____"Aw dude, that's harsh!" said Stan. Of course, Cartman's   
friends weren't ready to believe that girls could be   
attracted to him. However, they were perfectly willing to   
believe that cyborgs and robots were after him. They were   
little boys, and therefore very likely to believe ood things   
about the world.   
_____"Mfoo..." went Kenny, his hood-muffled voice worried.  
"Mfu' mfoo mfee mofo? Mobofs 'nd mfybrgf... Mfoo shif?"   
_____"No shit, Kenny," said Cartman, perfectly understanding   
what his friend just said. Leaning closer, he whispered,   
"But we can beat those bitches. According to my magic   
toothbrush, some new...business associates will meet me on   
Wozniacki Lane tonight. Gee, I hope I can convince them,  
because they're not from around here, really."   
_____A how-w-w-ling wind blew outside, audible inside this  
library. Though it was still full daylight, Cartman's friends   
were taken aback by that last ominous statement. Not from   
around here? Very important? What the HELL did Cartman mean  
by that? Kenny pulled the strings on his fluffy jacket hood,   
frightened. Something wasn't right here...  
_____"Dude," began Kyle, "I don't like the sounds of that.  
That sounds damned creepy... Like, how that magic toothbrush   
of yours can COMMUNICATE to you."   
_____"Ooh! Don't you...?!" said Cartman, becoming yet more   
annoyed. His mouth scrunched up, and his eyes clenched closed   
as well. His fat face reddened briefly. He seemed ready to   
explode into a torrent of four-letter words and phrases best   
left for tougher ears...   
_____But he quickly calmed and smiled. "What could be so   
wrong with communicating with a magical object, Kyle?"   
asked Cartman, talking quite calmly. "Listen, Jew, the   
magic toothbrush has been very helpful before. And now,   
it's going to help me even more."   
_____Stan whisper-said, "Dude, I'm sorta on the side of   
Kyle. Something's fucked up about this. When mystical  
objects start communicating with you about meeting people  
at night, somebody HAS to worry. And I'm fucking worried."  
And Kenny muffle-spoke words of agreement.  
_____"Oh great..." whisper-spoke Cartman, putting his hands  
atop the polished wooden table. "Jew-boy is getting you   
both down, too. Tell you what. Come with me to the   
meeting, then I'll give you all a million dollars each...AND   
I'll pay for your airplane rides home." He reached beneath   
this reading table, reaching into his left pocket. Up came   
his left hand--with CASH! Three small stacks of money.   
_____"Here's three hundred GRAND in advance--a sign of my   
sincerity, guys. Now, let's go over to my hotel and pig out   
on junk food and soda 'til we puke."  
_____"Dude, you've got a HOTEL now?" asked Stan. From there,   
the boys got up and walked out of the library--talking  
to each other about money and the fun they would have   
after getting through adolescence.   
---  
_____The three "girls" in the fiction aisle heard the   
sounds of the automatic sliding doors working, and the boys   
were gone. They heard it all. They had plenty of luck   
on their side, and they knew it.   
_____Vicki blinked, consulting her internal clock. She   
then looked out of this aisle of books--looked at how the  
afternoon sunlight shined through the windows, how it   
slanted on the nearby reading tables. She whisper-said,  
"According to my sub-processor calculations, we have two  
hours and forty-three minutes until sunset. The library   
will be closed an hour before then."   
_____Shrugging once, Vannessa said, "Well, Wozniacki Lane   
is just across the street. It's a lane through some woods.  
Connects a school road to DeMott lane. We could walk there   
minutes before sunset. And if there are any Night People   
still left in this town to give us trouble, we can finish 'em   
off there." She snickered. "Or, the cops can try to kill  
the last of 'em off. Heh..."   
_____Gally around at the books in this aisle--one of many  
aisles of books. Just like that "supermarket" place, this   
library was another place of free bounty that people took   
for granted. In her home-time, literacy was weak: Books   
were rarities, not common commodities. But here... HERE,   
there were books all around. Available for FREE. "Until  
sunset, I choose to read for some time," she said to the  
twin gynoids. "We have time enough for pleasantry and   
priveledge."  
--  
_____Later, not too long before dark, everyone met in the  
basement lab below the white office. Most of the equipment  
and computers in here remained quiet and was shut off for  
now. Five swivel seats were moved over to an open space   
near the autodoc machines as so everyone could sit together   
and hold a seated meeting.  
_____Mr. Dark looked at everyone here. Dr. Briette sat to   
his left, looking as professionally neat as usual--but being  
in this town gave her eyes a constant worried sort of look.   
Vicki and Vannessa, being synthetic, looked unchanged from   
the first time they came last year--yet they seemed more   
mature. Then there was little Gally; she looked unchanged.  
That, except for the new outfit she wore over her metal body.   
_____One more look at everyone, then this big, professinoally  
dressed man began talking. "Okay, this could be the last   
time we hold one of these pre-sunset meetings," he said.  
"Gally, you weren't here from the start of our quest, but   
I believe you can appreciate the prolonged struggles the   
rest of us have gone through.   
_____"For months and almost a year, there seemed no serious   
end to the troubles and pains of those in this town. Despite  
months of investigation, questioning and even battles with  
who or what was responsible. It did not seem we were making   
any progress. But we still continued.  
_____"Then you came along, Gally. Somehow, you were a helping   
catalyst. You started gaining critical information we could   
not get. For whatever reason, the Little Man befriended  
you more than us and spoke to you. Now, we come down to   
this. When night comes, it could be the end." At this   
point, Mr. Dark looked around once more. "I suppose I'll   
back off and let anyone else say anything."   
_____No one else had anything to say. But, they almost   
communicated with their eyes. There were wide-eyed looks  
at everyone here. It was just a quiet, serious moment that  
was so different from all the other times here. And, the   
emotional gravity made things seem slightly darker and  
sharper. A prelude to finality.  
_____It was Dr. Briette who forced herself to break the   
silence. "Girls, I have already given you three final   
diagnostics scans. And I even checked over the autodoc  
twice before doing that. You three all seem fully   
physically functional. But, if you want any last-minute   
checks, just tell me."  
_____Gally spoke, sitting up in her seat. "Whatever one's   
physical condition, state of mind has significance.   
Daylight may go from the land, but we shall burn BRIGHT   
against our opponents." She stood. "I now move to the   
place of the final encounter.   
_____And she walked over to the elevator. Vicki and   
Vannessa gave quick waves of "goodbye" to Mr. Dark and   
Dr. Briette before stepping over to the elevator themselves.   
The elevator went up to the white office. From there, the  
three went out of this building.  
--  
_____And outside, it was frightfully late in the afternoon. By habit   
established over months, the townspeople had all gone home   
by now. There were no cars in this municipal complex, and   
the road near here was empty of cars save for one final   
police cruiser that drove away. It seems, the police would   
be out looking for the very few Night People who still   
strode the streets and made night-time dangerous.  
_____Yet, Gally, Vicki and Vannessa would be alone in who   
they had to face. The three walked out of the municipal   
complex area. And they crossed DeMott Lane, where there   
was that straight length of road that went through a forested   
area.   
_____This length of paved roadway going through woods was  
Wozniacki Lane. There was a sidewalk and some streetlights   
at the sides as well, but this place still seem dominated   
by nature. Especially when the darkness came--like someone  
turning off a cosmic lightbulb.   
_____The three had walked twenty yards along this road when  
the darkness came. "Uh oh..." said Vicki when sunlight   
suddenly went away.   
_____But thankfully, the streetlights flickered on seconds   
later, illuminating most of the road with dim pools of   
light. "You'd think I would be used to this kind of thing   
happening. No sunset, just straight darkness."   
_____Indeed, were it not for the streetlamps giving just   
some light, this road would be as lightless as some places in   
Hell. As it was, the woods nearby were without light.  
_____"Don't start bitching, sis," said Vannessa. "You're   
going to jinx me, and I don't want that. Besides, if we're   
destroyed, we can just be rebuilt again. Like before. So,  
what's to be scared of?"  
_____Gally made an angry, downward gesture with her left   
hand. A gesture that meant, Silence!   
_____Everyone here stoood still and quiet, the wind gently   
blew through the woods at the sides. Then they heard it.   
An animal-like rumbling sound steadily approaching from   
the other end of this road.  
_____A pair of dim headlights came along to match the animal  
rumbling sound--leading up to the arrival of a dim yellow   
taxi cab. The dim yellow taxi stopped near the direct   
light of a streetlamp, and out of it stepped four little   
boys in dark suits. One of the boys was much chubbier   
than the rest, and another wore a distinct winter hood   
that did not at all go with the rest of his outfit. That   
was Cartman's party--arriving on-scene.   
______The fat one was most certainly Cartman himself, and   
he slammed the taxi door shut. With a GROW-W-W-L from the   
dark engine, the vehicle sped from over there to here--  
passing quickly by. Speeding away into the night...   
_____So, there they stood near the other end of this road,   
four little boys. Cartman stood at the far left, standing  
tougher than his cohorts. He cupped his hands to his   
mouth, shouting, "HEY! WHAT the HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE,   
BITCH-WITCHES!? THIS AIN'T THE RED LIGHT DISTRICT! DID   
I INVITE YOU?" That said, all four boys then stepped into   
the direct light of the streetlamp. "GET OVER HERE!" went   
Cartman. "I DARE YA!"  
_____Anger on her face, Gally RAN. Her lightly clad feet   
making quick noises as she dashed, Vicki and Vannessa   
followed--matching in speed. As they rushed closer, three   
of the little boys went wide-eyed with fear.  
_____It was Cartman who still firmly held a look of toughness   
on his face. He reached into his right pocket... Out came   
the machine part... There was an unbelievably feirce blast   
of cool air...  
_____All three were knocked backward at the same time,   
struck by an unseen and sinister force. As soon as they   
stopped sliding backward from the blow, the three stood   
up quickly again--ready to do battle.   
_____"Wow, Cartman! Wow!" exclaimed Stan, his high-pitched  
voice full of surprised enthusiasm. "How the HELL did you   
do that? You didn't even move, and the magic tootbrush   
thing stopped them!"   
_____"Heh, he-e-eh!" went Cartman. "Those three cyber-pussies  
can't even TOUCH me! So long as I've got THIS..." He raised   
the dark machine part. "Long as I've got this, I can do any   
God-damned thing I want!"  
_____Gally spoke from over here. "Such is not truth. The   
power of that machine part has been greatly diminished due   
to our previous actions. Also notice that the object you   
possess may come come to possess YOU!"  
_____"What the HELL are you babbling about, you fucked up   
little cyber-bitch?" ranted Cartman. "I can kick your   
metal ass, can't I? I can make wishes come true with this,   
right? It's my GOD-DAMNED MAGIC TOOTHBRUSH, and I can do   
ANY FUCKING THING I GOD-DAMNED PLEASE! EEH, HEH, HEH,   
HEH..." He then pointed the machine part in Gally's general   
direction, making her and the other two party members fly   
backward.  
_____In a sliver of a second, Gally snapped back to her feet,   
as did Vicki and Vannessa. Gally breathed heavily, inhaling  
and exhaling air. Her artificial body and synthetic face   
showed real anger.  
_____Cartman began hopping from one foot to the other.   
"Ooh! Dudes, look out! She's ANGRY! I'm like... SO-O-O   
scared! Oh no! I'm gonna get my big ass kicked by a   
pissed-off little cyber-shit! Now what? I suppose I'm   
gonna be castrated and used for medical research?"  
_____"Dude, what are you talking about?" asked Stan. "Now   
I'm startin' to that magic toothbrush thing messed up your   
brain! You're really acting fucked up!"  
_____"Shut up, Stan!" went Cartman. "Nothing's wrong with  
me! Heh, he-e-eh! I'm gonna RULE this whole GOD-DAMNED   
TOWN! Oatmeal and ALL!"  
_____"Stan's right, Cartman," said Kyle. "You were a real  
jackass before, but now you're worse than two jackasses   
fucking together! That damned thing must have done something  
to your head!"   
_____"Moff magreff..." went Kenny, his otherwise normal words  
still hampered by that silly hood worn over his head and face.  
Cartman and the other boys understood whatever he said, but   
Cartman didn't like it.  
_____"Guys, quick being a bunch of used douche bags!"   
whined Cartman. "Things are just going to be PEACHY!   
Watch, I'll just destroy those synthetic bitches and..."   
Then he looked around. He felt that SOMETHING was happening.  
---  
_____...In the Third Place, the Little Man sat at the green   
formica table. His hands were clasped together and on the   
table. Of course, there was still darkness all around the   
table. A kind of darkness that could not be found in   
reality. He looked up, and smiled. He never seemed to   
smile so broadly.  
---  
_____Back in this universe, here on this road through the   
woods, Gally blinked. She looked up. High above, she saw   
six moving lights in the infinitely dark night sky. Most   
certainly, those lights were NOT stars as the stars were   
not visible in this town for a year. Those lights moved...  
_____The wind began to blow a bit more strongly. It was   
wind blowing with aggression, as if there were a storm   
coming. A moment of this, and it was soon quiet and calm   
enough again to speak.  
_____"YOU!" shouted Gally. "This is your end, an end   
brought about from your own acts of hatred and distortion!"   
Then, oddly enough, she laughed. "Ha, hah... Yet, I thank   
you for your show of courage. For the way you confronted me.   
You were a true challenge, and I hope my return to my own   
time period does not eliminate my memory of you. A truly  
worthy opponent."   
_____The wind stopped. Everything on this road through  
the dark woods suddenly became quite quiet. "What the  
FUCK are you talking about, cyber-pussy?" went Cartman.   
Then came a low rumbling sound. One of the street lights   
flickered. Following that, all of the lights flickered.  
_____It seemed to come from everywhere, that sound. It   
was of such low pitch that one could feel it in one's   
chest. And the rumbling sound became louder, the sound   
quaking the night air.   
_____The heavy rumbling sound then seemed to come from   
above... A bright light shone down on those three boys  
over there.   
_____"What the HELL is going on, Cartman?" asked Stan,   
squinting against the intensity of the light that glared  
down on him. "I KNEW this town was fucked up! I'm outta   
here!" He said that, and grabbed at Kenny and Kyle. "Come  
on, dudes! This situation is getting more fucked up every  
second!"  
_____Three boys ran from the glaring light. Then one of   
them tripped and fell to the road. That was the boy with   
the winter hood on his head. "MMM-F-F-F!" he went, his   
scream muffled by the hood. Something flickered in the   
sky above, and the boy suddenly burst into flames.  
_____Stan and Kyle stopped running along the road. They   
turned to look at the burning, smoke-billowing corpse that   
was face-down on the road. Or, what HAD been their friend.   
_____"Oh my God," said Stan, incredulity in his voice. It   
was as if he could not BELIEVE what just happened. "Oh   
my GOD!" he said again.   
_____"THEY KILLED KENNY!" shouted Kyle. He shook a fist at  
the dark sky above. "YOU BASTARDS!"   
_____"Forget that! Come on, dude. We've gotta get out of   
here before the same thing happens to us!" That said,   
Kyle and Stan ran as fast as their short, adrenaline-sped  
legs could carry them.   
_____"Fine!" went Cartman. "Run, you pussy-whipped ennuchs!"   
He danced around in the bright light that glared down on him.   
"Heh-h-h, HE-E-EH! I've still GOT MY MAGIC TOOTHBRUSH...!"   
His tone of voice changed, became fear-tinged. "Uh oh...   
WHAT THE FUCK?" He began to wave his fat arms, and then his   
whole body began to sway left and right. Something had him   
in a hold of some kind.  
_____"Wha-a-a-t!" he shouted as the light intensified. The   
light was so bright that Gally had to look away. Vicki and   
Vannessa did as well. This road and the nearby woods soon   
became lit up brighter than daylight. Many times brighter  
than daylight.  
_____Gally didn't hear what was happening to Cartman, but  
something was definitely being done to him. She heard   
his angry screams. "I COMMAND YOU TO RELEASE ME! I'LL EAT   
YOUR FUCKING BRAINS! YOU HEAR ME! Get OFF! GET OFF ME!   
LET ME GO! LET ME..." And he went silent in mid-shout.   
And that was the last anyone ever heard of Eric Cartman in   
Franklin Township.   
--  
_____Soon, the intense light flickered off, and the rumbling   
sound stopped. That, and there was no longer any sort of  
wind at the time. It became a very still night, and even  
the sound of insects returned--the sounds of small creatures  
in the dark woods at the sides.  
_____At that moment, Gally again turned to face the place  
where the little boys once stood. But, all there was now   
was the hissing, cooling corpse of one of them--not Cartman's  
corpse. He was gone. Absolutely gone.  
_____Vicki's cheerful voice rang out. "Hey, look at that!"  
she said, point up. High above, the stars became visible.   
And soon, the moon came into view as well. "The stars can   
be seen, like they could before things started happening   
in this town! I guess the troubles are over."  
_____"Wait... I hear laughing..." said Vannessa. "Hey,   
I see some Night People! Get ready!" The other two looked   
around, expecting to hear the tell-tale laughter of Night   
People to come about. Expected to see the laughing, dead-  
skinned freaks of night to come and fight.   
_____But no, there were just the sounds of an ordinary night.   
The sound of wind blowing. Sounds of insects and some   
birds. And the occasional sound of a vehicle driving.   
_____"Ju-u-ust KIDDING YA!" pealed Vannessa, laughing. "Isn't  
that FUNNY! Hah, hah, hah, hah...." She walked close to  
her "sister." "Aw, c'mon Vicki. Don't look at me like   
that! It was JUST... Fine, be that way!"   
_____Gally turned to look. Vicki stood with the stiff   
poise of a robot--a slim female figure standing straight.   
Vannessa slowed her laughter, then stood up as well.   
Standing as straight as her sister. A feeling of tension  
in the air.  
_____This cyborg over here considered saying something, but   
could one quench the anger of robots? And, whatever the two   
would do to one another would not matter at this point. They   
served their purpose in this town. As did Gally. The two   
gynoids could destroy one each other, and Mr. Dark would just   
come by with the police to pick up the remains.  
_____"You truly anger me, Vannessa," said Vicki. "The worst   
sister a robot could have. Always joking at the worst times.  
Always hating humans! Never serious!"  
_____"And you're the dorkiest human-loving robot I've ever  
met," said Vannessa. "I'd rather have some kinda low-powered   
computer for a sister instead of YOU. Yeah, a 386, with   
just 640 kilobytes of memory!" She smiled. "But I don't.   
I've got YOU for a sister."  
_____Vicki smiled as well. "I do, too. Have you for a   
sister. So, I suppose I'm stuck with you... Sister.   
Almost the only other gynoid in the United States."   
_____"Same here, sis," said Vannessa. "Same here! Come  
here!" Vannessa then came at Vicki, arms out...   
_____And the two hugged. They hugged and danced an odd   
dance. "Whoo-hoo!" shouted Vannessa. "We won! Kicked   
some ass!"   
_____"Gally," said Vicki, releasing her sister. "Let's go   
back to the municipal complex. We've got GOOD NEWS to   
tell Mr. Dark." But she did not seem responsive. "What's   
wrong...?"  
_____Gally stood here, staring over at one place in the   
road where there was more light under a streetlamp. That   
light flickered, and there was a rhythmic snap...snap...snap.  
The snapping of fingers. And soon, that was accompanied by   
the sound of shoes shuffling.  
_____HE walked out of the woods and into the light. Snapping  
his fingers and dancing a wriggling sort of dance. He stood  
slightly shorter than Gally, but much more eerie a sight.  
"The Little Man has come..." said Gally. "He dances now.  
Something remains not done."  
_____"You kiddin' me, Gally?" asked Vannessa. "B'cause, hey,  
you can't kid a kidder! Can't fool a gynoid! I bet my   
eyesight resolution is better than yours, and I DON'T SEE   
ANYBODY! Nobody else here but us three!"  
_____The Little Man came closer, snapping his fingers and   
walking with a dancing wriggle in his step. Gally stood still,  
intrigued and not a little frightened. Then the street-   
lights flickered.  
_____"Vannessa, the streetlights are flickering... And I   
hear something," said Vicki. "What is the source of those  
sounds?"  
_____"You must have knocked a thought processor when that   
fatboy attacked us last," said Vannessa. "'Cause I see   
nothing! ZIPPO! But, I see the streetlamps goin' nuts."   
There was a feirce wind, swaying the trees of the forest   
that surrounded this area.   
_____Then she turned to look at Gally. Gally? "Hey, sis!   
Metal girl's gone!" shouted Vannessa. "Where the HELL did   
she go? Damn it..."   
--  
_____...But Gally was here. That is, wherever "here" was.   
She was in the Third Place again, a place just outside of   
reality. She was unsure if she was dreaming... Or in a   
dream?   
_____No, she was not dreaming. She felt that she was   
sitting in a solid chair--solid wood that held her up.   
And the formica table was before her--lit from that unseen   
light from above.   
_____The Little Man was seated here as well. "Coming to   
go!" he said, smiling. "Good news in THE breeze! What   
is done is now NOT!" He then bowed his head...and got out   
of his chair--moving to stand at the left side.  
_____Gally looked to her left when she saw a shiny machine  
fade into view. It was a machine her height, resembled  
a large radio encased in glass--with circuits and parts  
visible. In fact, it looked like a sort of jukebox. Music  
came... A weepingly beautiful song. The song lyrics said...  
--  
She SAID...she wouldn't stay   
She SAID...she couldn't say  
She told ME,  
She would die-e-e,  
For LO-O-VE  
--  
_____With the Little Man stepping away from the table,   
someone else moved to sit at this table, a girl. A   
pale-blonde girl in a white silk dress that flowed over her   
slender figure, her lithe arms bare. Her eyes seemed a   
light brown at first--but were actually red. A girl with   
blood-red eyes: a sure sign of mutation. Before Gally   
could figure out who she was, the pale girl gestured to   
the table with a slow sweeping motion. The music lyrics   
from the jukebox now saying...  
--  
Don't you think...he knows-s-s   
Don't you think...he cares  
Don't you think...he dreams  
Don't you think...he CRI-I-ES...  
--  
_____Three objects faded into existence onto the formica   
tabletop. In the middle of the table was a folded map--  
labeled "Township of Franklin." Left of the map was a   
hexagonal metal bolt. To the right was a packet filled   
with instant oatmeal.  
_____Gally heard a female voice in her head, an almost   
child-like voice. YOU MUST SET THINGS CORRECTLY, went the   
thinking voice within her mind. SET THEM AS THEY SHOULD   
BE.  
_____As they should be. Gally pressed her lips more tightly  
together. She understood what those objects represented...  
And she knew what to do.   
_____She reached for the map with her metal hands--seeing   
that, somehow, her gloves vanished. She unfolded the map. Then,   
she reached for the packet of oatmeal. Not mindful of how   
her clothes vanished--exposing her metal body--she tore open  
the packet of oatmeal and sprinkled it over the map of   
Franklin Township. Setting down the empty packet, she then  
reached for the cracked machine bolt, her sneakers vanishing  
as well...  
_____And offered it to the pretty, red-eyed girl sitting   
opposite. She accepted the bolt, winked at Gally. The   
music from the spotlit jukebox switched to a happy song,  
music jubilant and beautiful enough to make Gally smile.  
The voice from within the jukebox went...   
--  
Movin' IN on, movin' on in!  
Movin' IN on, Movin' on in!  
Movin' IN on, Movin' on in!   
...  
Say GOOD-BYE-E-E-E to HER, boy   
Tell-l-l her, SHE IS THROUGH  
You CAN'T...stop...ME  
If I CAN'T stop MYSELF  
Don't...stop...me  
If I CAN'T stop MYSELF   
--  
_____Gally felt tired. Felt sedated, feeling herself   
slumping to the formica table. Struggling within herself,   
she tried to apologize for her rudeness to the pale girl.   
But, of course, Gally could not talk in this place.  
_____She had forgotten that. But that did not matter anymore,  
as they would not understand her, anyway. Why didn't Gally   
remember that? Why did she want to speak to them at all?   
That, when the beings of this place understood so much about   
how things were? She felt herself falling, and there was  
nothing she could do about it...  
---  
_____She fell. It was a sickening sort of feeling, falling   
into a deep darkness with no bottom. A fall that seemed  
deeper than the universe itself. Feeling dizzy and lost,   
she fell on.  
---  
_____...And she heard a kindly and friendly male voice. Very   
familiar. A voice calling to her from afar. "...Awakening?"   
It was the most familiar and friendly voice she knew at the   
time. Time? Time!  
_____Gally's eyes flicked open. "Ido!" she exclaimed, sitting   
up on the mechanized operating table. Then, her sudden   
enthusiastic embrace nearly caused the tall bespectacled man   
to fall backward from the table.   
_____She knew the man--Ido Daisuke--better than she knew   
anyone in this time period. He was the same blond tall man she   
remembered: professionally dressed in slacks, shirt with tie,   
and white labcoat. The same bespectacled face with that mark  
of Zalemite citizenship on his forehead. A cybernetics   
scientist and doctor, likely the best in all of Scrap Iron  
City.  
_____Yes, Gally was back in her own home-time. This is HOME!   
"Gally, thank goodness you're safe," said Ido, putting a   
hand to Gally's dark head of hair.   
_____Gally inhaled, still held to Ido's waist. Ido said to   
her, "When you went missing for all of those days, I grew   
worried. I thouught that you had been destroyed when that   
vehicle's parts came down. My nightmares had you in them.   
I saw you walking. Walking through... darkness and confusion."   
_____"Within nightmares?" Gally released her hold, concern   
on her face. "What happened with that? There was a crash,   
and then... Then, I do not remember. Yet, I WANT to   
remember. I went...somewhere else."   
_____The tall scientist put his hands in his labcoat pockets.  
"Well... In a way you did, metaphorically as well as   
physically. I was told this: You were found at the crash   
site, unconscious." He looked to the right, looked out   
the window. Outside was the front, hard-scrabble lot of   
this short building--this building which doubled as home   
and cybernetics clinic.   
_____Outside was a view of this city--Scrap Iron City. Ido  
continued, "At least, that's what the motorball coach said   
when he brought you here. You being found at the crash site."   
At this point, he shrugged. "Hah, hah... He said that you   
had the look of a good Motorball player. Not the best, he   
said, but a very good player because you have heart." Another   
shrug. "Do you know him, Gally? If so, I would like to meet   
and thank him for bringing you here. He CARRIED you with his   
one metal arm."  
_____Gally swiveled herself as so she could dangle her   
metal legs over the edge of this cybernetics table. "I...  
Hmm... Maybe, from afar, I once knew certain people." Then   
she knew. "Yet, I do not think we will see or know that man   
for quite some time... If ever." She moved off the table,  
landing on her solid feet. "But, what of that crash?"  
_____"Oh?" asked Ido, turning from the window. Gally moved  
to his right side, as so she could also look out the window.   
Ido again looked out the window. Said, "There's not a   
great deal of information, Gally. Officially, the Factory   
announced that incident was destruction of another flying   
craft. Soon after, workers quickly removed all the odd  
debris from the scene.   
_____"And the witnesses were paid some credits to not talk   
too much about what happened. Then they were paid even   
more credits to give over any parts they may have picked   
up." He looked down at her. "What do you make of it?"   
_____"I can barely be sure of what happened, Ido," answered   
Gally. She looked up at the blue daytime sky, clouds going   
by. "But the truth is probably with the night, within the   
stars." 


	11. Chapter 11

Timefall: Bonus Chapter (by Elliot Bowers)   
__(NAO) Now, upload the chapters to fanfiction.net!  
  
_____It was 12:34 in the afternoon, with the day lazing   
away. The town was much more relaxed, and the warm   
comfort of the springtime sun added to the low-key   
happiness... In fact, the town's mood was almost festive.   
A laid-back feeling over all of Franklin Township.  
_____In a certain office of the municipal complex, a young  
lady sat perched atop the desk. She seemed in her late   
teens or early twenties, had the look of a gymnast--lithe   
and blonde. She also had confidence enough to match her   
looks. Her outfit of tight jeans and even tighter tee   
shirt reinforced the image--confidence, youth and   
prettiness.   
_____Lounging atop the desk, she seemed almost posing for   
anyone who called. Just calls. Calls all day... Too   
many calls?   
_____Despite the air of confidence and competence, despite  
her capabilities, the young woman was to do nothing today   
but just that.  
_____Yet, the term "young woman" belonged in quotes. That,   
because the pretty blonde female atop the desk was a gynoid--  
like Vicki and Vannessa before her: a third-generation   
synthetic human female. In fact, she was so new a prototype   
that she did not have a name yet, just a serial number   
designated to her by United Robotronics: #RU-386.  
_____#RU-386 had been specifically designed to assist Mr. Dark's  
team with the troubles of Franklin Township. Her simulated  
personality was said to be more "human" than Vannessa's   
(#RU-286), and her body was configured with more redundant   
mobility processors to better function in physical   
confrontations--tougher than Vicki or Vannessa. But, by   
the time her programming had been complete and her mind   
installed within her body, the troubles in this town were   
over.   
_____Now what? With not much left to do in Franklin Township   
anymore, this gynoid was stuck here, in this boringly plain   
office. The mayor was spending some his own after-work hours   
in running this office for now. He told her to sit around   
and just...answer the phone!   
_____Well, this was better than being shut down and   
disassembled. Was it? Maybe, this was the robot equivalent   
of Hell? Stuck in this plain white-walled office with nothing  
for company but a desk and a telephone?   
_____The telephone TRILLED, and the synthetic girl shook her   
head. The telephone's corny sound was driving her CRAZY! Oh,   
but the mayor said he LOVED to get telephone calls. But...   
Never mind!  
_____Just to shut the telephone up, the gynoid picked up the  
handset. She relaxed herself across the top of the desk--an   
even more immodest pose--and held the annoying device to her  
right ear. Hell, modesty was for humans. She didn't give a damn!  
_____"Hello," she said into the telephone, "this is the   
white office. Mr. Dark's team has since disbanded and   
gone to the Midwest. May I take a message?"   
_____The caller introduced himself as Jim--a representative   
of a programmer's group--wanting to know about how the   
gynoid in the office was doing.   
_____She rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Yes, JIM, I'm   
doing fine. I haven't had a single hitch or glitch. In  
fact, I feel human. Thanks for your call, and say 'hi' to  
my 'cousin' Vicki for me... Yeah, and tell the rest 'hi'   
for me, too. James, Herb, and Leslie... No, no, the mayor  
will be really glad you called. Bye-bye." At that point, the   
gynoid hung up the telephone.   
_____TRIL-L-L! The telephone made that corny sound again.  
"This is the white office. Mr. Dark's team has disbanded.  
May I take a message?" asked the gynoid.   
_____This time, the caller was someone named Lyse--one of   
several important official who oversaw the operations in   
Franklin Township when things were happening. She read   
past reports about Gally and wanted to know where the   
cyborg was now?   
_____"Well, officially, she went back to wherever she came  
from," said the blonde gynoid. "But, I think she'll be   
back... Or maybe not. Who knows? Thanks for your call!   
Bye!" And the gynoid hung up.  
_____That was done. Now to relax. Pillow-like, she   
set her hands behind her head and crossed her legs at the  
ankles. She would just lie here. Staring up at the typical   
office ceiling--florescent tube lights set in white tiles.   
She'd rather look up at the sky... Then the telephone   
TRILLED again.   
_____A robot ought to be used to repetitive tasks, but a   
gynoid was not just a robot--though she was put to a task   
more suited for one! She picked up the telephone. Said,   
"This is the white office. Mr. Dark's team has disbanded.  
May I take a message?"   
_____It was someone named Mahtoma, calling about Gally's   
behavior in town. The caller claimed to have been watching   
Gally at a bar and said that she was a bit cold. And, was  
Gally really a tea drinker?   
_____"Well, I don't know. I'll ask the mayor about that. I  
don't know why, but he REALLY likes your calls. Bye-bye!"   
said the synthetic girl. She hung up, hating the mayor for   
loving calls from people.   
_____Next call! "This is the white office. Mr. Dark's team   
has split up. May I take a message?" she said into the   
telephone.  
_____This time, the caller's name was Viggen--someone who  
seemed to be a sort of cyborg fanatic. This "Viggen"   
person had read a report from Dr. Briette about Gally and   
said that the report must have been flawed. The data on   
Gally must have been incorrect, so...  
_____"I'm sorry, but Dr. Briette has since returned to...  
Well, she just went home," said the gynoid. "But I'll tell  
the mayor. Bye-bye! Have a nice day!" And she hung up the  
telephone.  
_____Why the HELL did the mayor love getting calls? If   
anything, he should be feeling stressed: He was left to   
close down this office, but overseeing municipal   
responsibilities made for stress enough! And he was so  
young!  
_____Well, not that this gynoid should talk about age; her   
mind was only two weeks old. And her synthetic body was   
assembled even earlier than that. TRIL-L-L! TRIL-L-L...  
_____Oh, another call... "Hello, you have reached the   
white office! Mr. Dark's team is no longer available.   
May I take a message?"   
_____The call came from someone named Charlotte--another   
enthusiastic call. She said that she just wanted to praise  
the mayor's previous report on what happened.   
_____"Okay, bye!" said the gynoid. Blah, blah, blah... She   
hung up. Next call...   
_____A call from someone named Eva. Eva liked the mayor's   
report, too. And, likely, the mayor would like to hear  
about that. After taking Eva's message, the gynoid hung   
up.  
_____"Pretty enthusiastic callers..." she said aloud, then   
folded her hands behind her head again. Still lying atop   
this desk. Still ready to answer the telephone. Well,   
she set her electronic mind to analyzing the ceiling   
tiles...  
_____WHAM! The office door flew open! The gynoid SAT UP,  
the blonde strands of hair in disarray. It was the mayor--  
Elliot Bowers. Physically, a twentyish man of moderate   
muscle build, standing just as tall as the average American   
male. A tan and rugged-faced sort of look about him, complete  
with a semi-combed head of curly dark hair. A tanned   
Frenchy sort of look.  
_____The gynoid did a quick handstand, then cartwheeled off  
the desk--landing a foot in front of the mayor--making him  
blink. "Hello," she began, "I've done nothing today but  
answer calls. What have you done?"  
_____"Yeah, yeah..." went the mayor, moving to sit in the   
seat at the desk that Mr. Dark once used for so long. "Any  
calls? I LOVE calls! Tell me, tell me, TELL ME!"   
_____The blonde gynoid took a step toward the desk and   
opened her mouth to speak. Then the mayor made a quick   
chopping motion with his hand--a gesture meaning, never-mind-  
that. "Forget it," he said. "Sorry I asked. But you MUST,   
MUST, MUST tell me about EACH and EVERY call I've gotten so   
far to this office. But guess what? Guess what?" His face   
was in glee as he said that.  
_____"What is it, sir?" asked the gynoid, feigning interest.  
Being synthetic, it was very easy to fake interest and other  
emotional states. She saw the mayor jerk his right thumb at   
something behind him--the elevator.   
_____The once-hidden elevator behind the desk led down to the  
cybernetics lab--which was scheduled to be dismantled soon.  
Officially, the equipment was then to be sent to Nebraska   
or somewhere...   
_____"You can't guess? Can't you guess?" asked the mayor,   
leaning back in the swivel seat--putting his feet atop the   
desk. "Ah Hell, I guess YOU can't guess. Your simulated   
personality isn't perfectly perfect... Not perfected   
perfectly. Imperfect? Well, well... I'll tell." Lowering  
his voice to a conspirational whisper, he said, "I've got   
'Gally' in the basement cybernetics lab. Sort of."   
_____Her electronic hearing being more sensitive than that  
of humans, the gynoid more than easily heard the mayor's   
whispered words in the quiet of this office. "But... But   
according to the data in my memory..." The mayor raised his   
eyebrows. "Sorry," said the gynoid, "I'm still trying to   
practice acting more human and all. Gimme a break! Anyway,  
according to what I've been told, Gally went back to...  
You know."  
_____The mayor winked. "Hah! Maybe she did, and maybe she   
didn't." He set his feet to the floor and stood up quite  
quickly. "We've got a problem. Mr. Dark's team isn't here  
to handle it, so we have to do something else."   
_____A problem? The gynoid moved closer to the desk, listening  
carefully. Finally, some ACTION!  
_____"Okay," began the mayor, "listen to this. There's   
ONE more troublemaker in town right now. In fact, he's   
pretty close by. I'd beat him down and sic the police on   
'em. But... I think this is the perfect time to test our   
Gally out."   
_____Hearing this, the gynoid pointed to herself. "But   
what ABOUT ME? I'm UNTESTED in REAL COMBAT SITUATIONS!  
I need to test my physical capabilities in a real-life   
setting!"  
_____"Heh!" answered the mayor. "You can test your   
physical capabilities by answering the phone! I'll be back  
in a few. Take my calls..."   
_____"Oh, COME ON, ELLIOT!" whined the gynoid, stomping   
her right foot and pouting. "I can take on ANYTHING! Is   
that was why I was made, to be some kind of life-sized   
doll-girl? I'm not just an answering machine."   
_____"But, hey... Some of your ancestors were answering   
machines!" quipped the mayor. He spun around to face the   
elevator behind the desk--the elevator opening when he   
faced it. "Oh, another rule... Don't call me by my first   
name while I'm here. I'm the MAYOR, dang it! And if I wore   
a red cape, you'd have to call me something else, too." That   
said, he stepped into the elevator. The doors closed, and   
the elevator took him down and away.   
_____So, the casually dressed blonde gynoid was left here   
in the office...again. She crossed her slim pale arms.   
Expected the telephone to ring... Well, it didn't. So   
much for the mayor's suggestion.   
_____"My ancestors were calculators, actually," she muttered.  
"GOOD calculators..." Answering machines? Hah!  
---  
_____The elevator was up again in a few minutes--back to   
this almost totally unfurnished office. Its doors slid   
open, revealing the mayor with a short, metal-bodied   
Japanese girl with straight dark hair and large dark eyes--  
Gally.   
_____Standing there, the two were complete opposites. The   
mayor was a tall, casually dressed man with a reddish   
complexion and a big smile--an insane mane of curly hair   
atop his head. Gally was small, pale-skinned, and appeared   
to be clad in form-fitting armor. Her straight dark hair and   
face looked very serious.  
_____"Okey-dokey, kiddo," said the mayor. "I've got a job   
for you to pull for me..." He led the metal-bodied young  
girl out of this elevator and guided her to the swivel chair  
at the desk. Gally sat down on it, closed her eyes and   
sighed.   
_____"Aww..." went the gynoid sitting atop the desk. "She's  
so-o-o-o CUTE! Can I have one? Can I have my own Gally?"   
_____The mayor glared at the gynoid. "What the heck? We'll  
talk later. Anyway, how in tarnation can a robot--a gynoid--  
own anything...?" He looked down at Gally. "ANYWAY... Kid,   
there's something you've gotta do for me. I'm not doing it   
because the task is so creepy that I'm not even sending the   
gynoid to do it.  
_____Hearing that, the blonde gynoid sitting on the desk   
shook her head. "But... I HATE answering the phone,   
Elliot! Come on! I need to test my capabilities, too..."   
_____"I've had it up to my earlobes with you!" ranted the   
mayor. "Next week, robo-bitch, I'm tweaking your personality   
emulation programming! Then I'm going to give you a   
cutesy dork name like 'Kimberly' or 'Tooty.'"  
_____The blonde gynoid put her hands on her hips and   
glared at the mayor. Of course, the mayor ignored her.  
Damn, thought the mayor, it seems like every advanced  
humanoid robot beyond Vicki becomes more assertive...  
_____Feeling more awake, Gally swiveled around as so she  
could see the gynoid, sitting atop the desk. She could   
easily see her as being a blonde-haired version of   
Vannessa--but more stereotypically teenage in behavior.  
_____"Okay, Gally," went the mayor. "I'll just show you   
what's going down. We ain't got all day. Yeah, and   
that's literally a truth to tell!" He walked to the office   
door and opened it--left.  
_____Normally, Gally would have chided the annoying man   
for being so rude and assuming to people. That, or worse.   
But, for whatever reason, she felt humbled to him. She   
stood from the seat and also walked out of this white   
office.  
---  
_____She remembered the way out of the rest of this   
building. Leaving the white office, she passed through  
the spacious public lounge--still with gray carpeting and a   
places for people to sit and talk in close converation.   
The windows were still at the side... Windows...  
_____There was a howling sound of the breeze outside  
the lounge windows. Or, was it just the breeze? Something   
was not right here: full daylight outside, and yet Gally  
felt a need to be quite cautious. How-w-w-l-l-ling...  
_____She felt slightly frightened, but refused to let her  
fear overcome her. Whatever had to be done simply HAD TO   
BE DONE. So thinking, she stepped out of the lounge and  
through the short-halled foyer. Out the steel and glass  
doors...   
---  
_____Indeed, it was still the afternoon. The mayor was   
standing here at the entrance to this building, arms   
akimbo. "Heh, glad you came," he said. "You sure took   
your molassass-sweetened old time getting out here, though."   
He uncrossed his arms and pointed to the center of this   
area--the main paved lot of this municipal complex. "Look   
over there. You'll see trouble!"  
_____Gally looked over there. Looked across the paved lot   
to see what--or who--the mayor was talking about. She   
saw a serious-looking pale man in a full business suit,  
his hair as dark as his jacket and slacks. But, slung   
over a shoulder, he had a green cloth sack that seemed   
full of lumps. He just stood there, smiling... Listening to the   
breeze...  
_____The mayor hunched his shoulders and shook a bit--  
shudders. "Ugh... That freak gives me the creeps. But   
guess what's he's got in the bag, Gally? Guess!"  
_____"He holds objects of vast importance," she said.   
"Considering the tone of your voice, the objects must be  
very important. And, I assume that I am to seize the bag   
from the man."  
_____"Damned right, kid!" exclaimed the mayor. He knelt  
to Gally's right, put a hand on her right shoulder. "Now,  
what he has in that bag is very important. The things in  
the bag make sounds if you listen. But don't listen too   
hard! Just kick that man's ass, get the bag, and open it.   
Do it for oatmeal's sake!"  
_____Oatmeall...? Gally nodded. She eyed the dark-suited  
man in the distance, the man with the sack. She would do   
this task...  
_____She began her walk. Her fists clenched, she strode.  
Her solid feet making slight sounds as she went the paved  
distance to that dark-suited man with the sack. Yet, even  
as she walked, preparing her mind for the fight sure to   
come, she was quite aware of slight oddities.  
_____As Gally went closer to that dark-suited man, things  
became slightly different. The blue sky overhead darkened  
a bit. Some more clouds moved overhead, moving faster.   
And the breeze... She heard something in the breeze.  
_____Eyes ahead, she still faced her opponent--who now   
returned the stare. A very plain-looking man, a white-collar  
professional of some kind. But no, there was something  
else in his face. A lost, distant look. And the eyes...   
The man's eyes were an electric blue color--an almost   
unnatural sort of blue.  
_____Gally came yet closer, was quite close. She soon   
came within ten yards of the dark-suited man--and stood   
there to eye him. He still stood here on the gray   
asphalt of this lot, smiling that odd smile.   
_____That smile. Gally did not smile at all. Her large dark   
eyes perused the man's face. Something was very wrong with   
how he looked. It was not anything immediately wrong with   
his face, no marks or anything. He generally appeared   
perfectly fine.   
_____But it was the WAY he smiled. The sort of smile that   
meant the person had absolutely no regard for anything.   
No regard for even human life. It was, simply put, the   
smile of a real maniac.   
_____Standing sideways, feet slightly apart, Gally   
considered her approach. How should she do this? That  
man seemed even too confident for a maniac; he seemed too  
calm and self-assured to be unarmed. Was it what he had   
in the bag? And then Gally heard it again...  
_____When the breeze blew again, there was that howling.   
It was a chorus of howls heard in the breeze, actually.   
A group of voices how-w-w-wling in lost misery.   
_____Then Gally knew: The howling voices were coming from   
THAT bag. The objects in that bag were not just "objects,"   
but something more.  
_____"Hello, little one!" said the dark-suited man. "I   
suppose you want what I have here in the bag. Do you   
know what it is?" He gave a slight hop, making for thick  
blocky sounds when the objects in the bag shook. "I've  
got WOOD in this bag... Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh... I'd   
put YOU in this bag too, but you don't have anything! You  
don't have what I TAKE FOR BOB!"  
_____"And yet, what do you TAKE?" asked Gally. "You take   
wood? How can wood be of much value? Or, is there yet more   
in your sack than that?"  
_____"Heh, heh, heh, heh..." chuckled the dark-suited man.   
"Heh, heh, heh... Heh, heh, heh..." He winked. "Oh, I   
think Laura knew. But, who doesn't know yet?  
_____"Oh, I bet Mahtoma doesn't know what's REALLY in the   
bag yet," began the dark-suited man, ranting. "It's not   
just WOOD that's inside the WOOD I've got! Lyse doesn't   
know, either! Don't ask her yet! Heh, ask a Priest! Maybe   
he knows?"   
______From there, the dark-suited ranting man burst into   
sing-song verse:  
--  
Oh-h-h...!  
KETTY doesn't know what Zeldagris doesn't know!   
Z'gris doesn't know what Mahtoma doesn't know!   
And Mahtoma doesn't know what Kane doesn't know!  
Because...  
...  
Oh-h-h...  
Mahtoma doesn't know what Kane doesn't know!  
Kane doesn't know what BUICK doesn't know!  
And Priest doesn't know what Ochnida doesn't know...  
Because...  
BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT IN THE BREEZE!   
--  
_____To Gally, that song made next to no sense at all.  
She shook her head. Those names were on the very edge of   
familiarity for her, yet she never recalled meeting them.  
...No, something in the dark-suited man's voice disoriented   
her!   
_____"I shall defeat you," she said. "I shall not be   
manipulated. You shall not manipulate and steal from   
innocents of this town!"   
--Section 3--  
---  
_____Such was to be the battle, with some buildings fronting  
against the larger forest that surrounded this area. Here   
was the flat hard pavement for the fighting surface.   
_____Gally stood with one foot forward, eyeing her opponent--  
the dark-suited man with the sack. And, in turn, he eyed her   
with THAT look in his odd eyes.  
_____Klink-SWISH... Gally leapt up and forward, a dark-  
haired gray blur--flying at the dark-suited man! Her right   
arm lashed out in a deadly arc of force as she flew past,   
hoping to snatch the sack.... But a BLAST of suddenly feirce   
air hit her, ruining her mid-air balance.  
_____She landed wrong, and had to do a controlled tumble  
to avoid hitting her head. But how...? She turned,   
again facing the dark-suited man--a grin on that man's   
face.   
_____He did a little dancing hop, shaking the sack he had   
slung over his left shoulder. Then he shook his left hand...  
Another blast of air that struck Gally!   
_____She was KNOCKED back, spinning and spinning. When   
she crash-landed onto the gray asphalt, her head felt   
sickened. And she had some difficulty in standing again.  
Whatever that dark-suited man had in the sack could be   
giving him a sort of power... Giving him energy-based   
fighting techniques Gally had never seen before.  
_____The dark-suited man stood there, grinning away like  
mad. "Heh, heh, heh..." he went, making for a dead   
chuckling sound. "You're heading for the mini-dump, girly!  
Not in the breeze!" He winked--before he quivered his left  
hand again.  
_____This time, Gally went defensive. She knelt on one  
knee and raised her arms to protect her head. The   
controlled blast of air whipped over her metal body and   
made her dark hair flutter. And she heard the slight   
scraping sound her left knee made as the blasting wind   
forced her back--the sound of metal grating on asphalt.  
_____It ended. And when the blast of air was over, Gally   
stood again--realizing something. Something ELSE was in   
the blasts of air the dark-suiited man directed against her...   
Hands! Lots of strong and invisible hands.  
_____The dark-suited man winked again, then did another   
slight hop--jiggling the blocks of wood in that sack.   
Readying to do another attack!   
_____As he did that, Gally went into action! Her alloyed  
arms blurred twice. Then an air-ripping KICK...  
_____But...the enemy suddenly wasn't there; he had somehow  
dodged by way of warping! "Heh, heh, heh..." went the voice   
behind her. She whipped herself around, looking at the dark-  
suited man. "Heh, heh, heh..."   
_____What dark trickery! Surely, this century did not have   
access to the technology to do such things. Or, was the   
dark-suited man from another time and place, as was Gally?   
_____"Heh, heh, heh..." went the man, talking in a hoarsened  
voice. "Let's not talk about Kim, okay?" He glanced up at   
the sky, which was now becoming clouded over. "We're not   
talking about Alia or Van, or even Ada!" He wriggled his   
eyebrows, and his eyes flashed once with a dark yellow light.  
_____Most certainly, this oponent had unseen and immense   
strength. No, something else was happening here. Something   
very wrong was happening here....   
---  
_____....In another reality, the Little Man walked out of  
the darkness. He walked over to the green formica table,   
which had two seats. Struggling just a bit, that dwarfish   
red-suited being sat himself in the seat on the left side.  
_____"This is the...FORMICA table..!" he said aloud, smiling.  
He chuckled, then rubbed his dwarfish hands over the table's   
surface. A bowl of oatmeal faded into view, on the table   
and ready to serve...  
_____There was a plume of smoke at the other seat of the   
table... When it dissolved, the Pale Girl was there--seated  
opposite the Little Man. Good, she was here to help.  
_____The Pale Girl looked especially pretty in her sleeveless  
silk gown, which flowed over her slim figure. Her red-  
colored eyes focused on the bowl of oatmeal on the table...   
She nodded at the bowl. Just nodded, making something   
happen...  
---  
_____...Back at the municipal complex, Gally was taking   
steps toward the dark-suited man when it did happen. There   
was a CRACK of lightning, and she was temporarily stunned.   
She blinked twice as her electronic eyesight reset.  
_____She looked at the blackened spot of concrete before   
her--where the lightning struck. Was it just lightning?   
Not just lightning, because thrust in the concrete was a   
sleek gleaming knife with an absolutely dark handle. The   
knife must have been quite strong to have been stuck   
through the pavement that way.  
_____It was a knife of such deadly beauty that even the dark-  
suited man hesitated. The metal of the blade was so sleek   
that it cast a reflection. And the black grip was so dark   
that it swallowed light--a handle crafted from the stuff of  
hardened shadows. A dark handle and a light blade--a blade   
of yin and yang...  
_____Gally did a quick left-handed cartwheel over the knife,   
pulling it free with her free hand. And when she stood again,   
she stood with the wonderful weapon ready. A smile of her own!  
_____Swish...! The dark-suited man's left arm was cut   
off at the shoulder. Blood and smoke came from the   
wound. Blood oozed down, and smoke billowed up. The dark-  
suited man could have been human once, but wasn't now.   
He was something else.  
_____Amazing--the wonderful knife was so immensely fine  
that it cut the limb with almost no resistance. And,   
seeing that her opponent was stunned, Gally struck again!   
_____Swish...! Both legs cut off at the knees! If it  
weren't so bloody and smoky, it would have been funny.   
The dark-suited man fell backward with comic hopelessness  
since his severed legs could no longer hold him up. He   
swung his remaining arm wildly as his upper body fell to   
the asphalt, a worried look on his face as he fell.   
Consequently, he dropped the sack.   
_____Fallen! Lying on his back. bleeding from the knee stumps  
and left shoulder-stump, he screamed! Screamed! As blood   
and smoke floweed freely from the amuptations, he could do  
almost nothing now but SCRE0-E-E-AM in shock. This battle   
was now clearly over for him.  
---  
_____The dark-suited man was defeated. Mutilated, on his   
back. His sack and his limbs were all over the asphalt. His   
severed limbs squirmed and wriggled on the asphalt, still   
pouring blood and smoke.   
_____Then, the limbs began moving toward the fallen man.   
Moved with wills of their own. No... More accurately,   
the limbs moved towards the man's head!   
_____With grotesque fascination, Gally watched as the   
disembodied limbs made their way toward the fallen man who  
bled and smoked. The severed arm wriggled and used the   
hand to squirm across the pavement like a nightmarish snake.  
And the legs made quick hopping movements.   
_____The severed legs then hopped atop his face, and began  
stomping. And the arm made its way toward the jaw.... There  
were awful wet tearing sounds as the severed limbs went to   
work, filling the scene with blood and smoke. The man   
screamed on, being done by his own bleeding and smoking   
limbs.   
_____With a smile on her face, Gally stood in the smoke.  
Like standing in a haze. The smoke filled her sight as  
the SCREAMING filled her ears. It felt...wonderful.   
_____After that long and wonderful moment, the smoke and   
the screams dissolved. The sun came out again from the   
last cloud cover... And somehow, it was now the afternoon.   
_____What happened here? Gally clenched both hands... The  
wonderful knife was gone. But it had served her quite   
well; she had won.  
_____All that was left of the dark-suited man was a long  
puddle of red wetness. His blood. No clothes, no flesh,   
just a puddle. As if his very presence had been dissolved  
by the breeze.  
_____But the sack was still here, the cloth sack with the   
blocks of wood in it. And when the breeze blew, Gally  
heard voices whispering from within the sack. Indeed,   
talking blocks of WOOD?  
_____The mayor walked up behind Gally. "Good work, kid."  
He reached out and actually patted her on the head. Then   
came a slurping sound as he drank from the large thermos   
container he had. "Ah, DAMN good coffee! Now, let's move   
those blocks of wood over by the woods before we're hit by   
outgoing cars."  
_____Gally reached down and gripped the sack--and was then  
surprised to find that it was quite heavy, even for  
her--despite her electromechanical strength. Yet, that  
dark-suited man was able to easily carry it. He must have   
been stronger than he seemed.  
_____With some effort, she managed to carry the sack of  
talking wood. She and the mayor walked over to the short  
exit road that led out of this area--went over to the   
sidewalk near the surrounding forest.   
_____"The weight of such wood was actually unknowable..." she   
said, setting down the sack. Kneeling close to it, she   
opened the sack and took a look inside. The blocks...   
Something...  
_____Slurp! Kneeling next to Gally, the mayor set down his   
thermos of coffee. "Heh, now you know how much human souls   
weigh! Like he said, it's not just WOOD in those blocks of   
wood! Now let me get to work as so the townspeople  
can be happy." The mayor then reached into the left pocket   
of his slacks to take out a zippo-style lighter.  
_____As Gally watched with large-eyed curiosity, the mayor   
reached into the sack with his right hand and took out a   
jagged-cut block of light brown wood--a human face carved   
into it.   
_____But...that face MOVED. The mayor set the block   
down as so it was on the pavement, set it on fire. An   
unusually perfect column of smoke billowed up from that   
object, and came singing! Singing from a burning block   
of wood!  
_____"Good, that one worked..." said the mayor. "So,   
Detective Thunderhorse knows what the Hell he's talking   
about, after all! Heck, now let's go for the whole danged  
thing!"  
_____The mayor took up the sack and carried it three steps  
away. He emptied the sack, sending the blocks of wood all   
over the sidewalk. He then piled them up roughly mound-fashion.   
_____Gally had a general idea as to what the mayor was   
accomplishing, but she said nothing as he went to work.   
The mayor flicked open the zippo-style lighter once more,  
making for a small but bright flame. He set the flame to  
the pile of wood blocks. It all began burning.   
_____And there was more singing, sounds of it in the distance.  
Gally was sure she heard a distant chorus of songs, and   
she looked around. But, she saw no chorus. Just saw the   
mayor standing before the burning pile of wood blocks, the   
smoke going up to the warm sky of the late afternoon.  
_____Giving a satisfied nod to the flickering flames of the  
fire, the mayor came back to where Gally was. He sat down   
next to her and picked up his coffee thermos. The light  
of the setting sun dappled through the woods at their backs.  
_____A look to the left, and there was a view of the municipal   
complex itself, with people leaving the buildings to look  
outside. It had been a week since the townspeople were able  
to watch sunsets again, a week since the night was safe   
again. So beautiful...  
_____Slurp! The mayor took another hit of coffee. "Ah,   
DAMNED good! Can't get enough of the stuff...." He looked   
at the petite metal-bodied female sitting next to him.   
"Just think, kiddo. All of those souls trapped for over a   
YEAR! Could you just imagine that? Having your SOUL   
trapped in a block of WOOD? Well, not that you have a   
soul to trap, but... Just imagine."  
_____Gally looked at him. "Why do say that, mayor? My   
brain lives on. Therefore, I yet have a soul. Cyborgs  
are not merely machines."  
_____"Pshaw...! Eh-hah! Mwa-hah..." The mayor sputtered,  
trying to suppress his laughter. He slurped a slurp of  
coffee. "Okay, it's high time I told you the truth, Gally.  
First question: do you want to go back to your home-time?"  
_____"Which was the ORIGINAL agreement," said Gally, her eyes  
narrowing. "I was to complete tasks in this time period,   
and Mr. Dark was to send me back to my place in the future."  
She was becoming angry; her patience was limited. Were it   
not for the heavenly singing in the distance, perhaps she   
would have pounced on the mayor--killed him then and there.  
_____"Well, guess what?" went the mayor. "This IS your   
home-time! Twenty-first century New Jersey. Franklin   
Township, a great little suburb with not too many problems.  
This town IS your home!"   
_____"Do not TOY with me, Elliot," sneered Gally, calling   
the mayor by his first name. "I am as much a person as   
you are. Do show respect!"  
_____"Look... Let me explain," said the mayor. He nodded   
left, toward the buildings of the municipal complex. "After  
that whole flying saucer panic last week, Gally herself   
disappeared. According to the info the Army gave me, she   
went back to her own time period. But... There was still   
one troublemaker left in town. One more loose end.   
_____"So... I went to the cybernetics-lab hidden beneath the   
rec center and jimmied with the autodoc. Using the data  
on Gally, I... Sha-zam! I made a replicate! A full copy   
of that cyborg--but with an electronic brain. But, a   
replicate with the truth embedded deep within its personality   
emulation programming. Now... Guess who the replicate   
is?"  
_____Uh?! With that last sentence given by the mayor, Gally had  
a flash of anger. But the anger died just as quickly, a   
flame quenched by a dash of icy water. Somewhere within  
her mind, that grain of truth was confirmed.   
_____It was truth. "Gally" put her solid hands to her   
head. She had no warm LIVING brain in her head, just   
electronics. Not a real brain. But she knew that somewhere,   
in a time period beyond this one, her actual self lived on.  
The original and real Gally.  
_____As if he had not hurt this "Gally" enough, the mayor spoke   
on with his take-it-easy tone of voice. "A-a-and... Guess  
what I've got?" He reached into his left pocket, took out   
something. It was a dark plastic rectangular box, with a   
red button in the middle: a comically simple device. "It's   
your OFF switch!" He handed it to her, and she gasped--carefully   
taking it.   
_____"Here ya go!" he cheered. "You deserve it. If you don't   
think that your existence is such a good idea, just press   
the button! Give it a good PUSH. And it'll all be over.   
Like turning off the God-damned lights before the final   
nap of eternity. Heh, heh... Nighty night!"  
_____This replicate of Gally stared at the dark device,   
the red button in its middle. Though the light of day was   
dimming, her artificial eyesight allowed her to see it   
quite well. It was HER off switch.   
_____She stood up from the sidewalk. The mayor stood up  
as well, much taller than "Gally" here. "What're ya gonna   
do with it?" he asked. "Just stare at it all day?"   
_____She raised it in her right hand, held it to the   
darkening sky. "To eternity..." she said before deciding.   
_____She threw it against the hard sidewalk--sending plastic   
and shattered microchips everywhere. The pieces of it were   
everyhwere, including the little plastic knob that was the  
red button itself. No longer a threat.   
_____This "Gally" had chosen to live on. "Hmmph" she   
voiced, then turned from the mayor to...walk...away. Ambling   
along this sidewalk, she went out of this municipal complex.   
A left turn, and she was on the connected sidewalk that went   
along DeMott Lane. A sidewalk that went into the rest of town.   
---  
_____Soon, with the sun setting below the horizon, it was   
dark enough that the streetlamps came on. And, by now,   
the wood blocks had since all burned out. The mayor still   
stood here, put his hands in his pockets. "Ah, well.." he   
said aloud.   
_____"Talking to yourself, Elliot?" said the slim blonde   
gynoid, walking up to the mayor. Her silken hair fluttered   
in the breeze. This time, she was wearing shorts to go   
with her tee shirt--shorts that showed off her synthetically   
perfect legs. All of her was perfect. Indeed, she was as   
synthetically beautiful as technology could make her.  
_____"Not really, since you're here...gynoid," he answered.  
"Anyway, did I give you permission to call me by my first  
name?"  
_____The gynoid shrugged. "Well, I'll keep doing that   
until you GIVE me a first name? I mean, if that replicate  
still has the name of her original, I want one!"  
_____"Okay, KIM!" said the mayor. "I'll give you a name!  
KIM! Aah, hah-hah..."  
_____The gynoid put her hands on her firm hips, pretty   
face aghast. "You WOULDN'T!" she said.   
_____"That's right! You heard me! I'll call you KIM! Aah,   
HAH, HAH, HAH...." The mayor inhaled. Then... "HAH, HAH,   
HAH... AAH, HAH, HAH..."   
_____Kim? KIM? The gynoid HATED that human name! It   
sounded so...dorky! Too pat and cute a name. But, it was  
now HER name.   
_____And the mayor's laughter filled the sunset air, night-time   
not too far away. The gynoid turned and began to walk   
back to the recreation building. At least, she was glad the   
mayor hadn't tweaked her emotional subroutines...yet.   
_____But, before she was too far away, she said, "I hope   
the Gally replicate threatens to kick your ass when she  
comes back."  
_____The mayor paused, heard the statement. Then he went  
right back to laughing... He laughed as the stars of the   
night came out.   
---  
_____In another reality, someone was dancing. Someone in  
a little red liesure suit worn with black silk shirt.   
It was someone with a spotlight shining down on him from the   
darkness above. A short being, complete with shiny brown  
shoes.  
_____It was the Little Man here. Wriggling his hips and   
snapping his fingers. He was dancing to pass the time as   
he thought about things. Thinking and dancing, his shoes   
shuffling on the hard dark floor. Dancing and thinking   
about a troubled place called "Twin Peaks" by humans.   
_____Another spotlight shone down from the darkness above.  
It was the Pale Girl, ethereal and beautiful in the light.   
The light made her silk gown seem to shimmer.   
_____She said to the Little Man, "It becomes SHE... I now  
grant a soul." And then she nodded, just once. With that  
nod, the statement became truth.   
_____"Indeed!" exclaimed the Little Man. "It becomes SHE!  
She...IS!" And then he danced on in the spotlight, knowing   
that nonliving things can hold--and have--human souls as   
well. 


End file.
